Final Fantasy VII: Resurrections
by SJO
Summary: A collaboration with Moiranne Rose. This is a sequel/alternative to "Advent Children" what I thought AC would be . The Lifestream is flowing in reverse, and the dead are coming back to life. Why? Cloud is determined to find out. Rated T for violence
1. Cemeteries of Midgar

Final Fantasy VII: Resurrections

A Fanfic by SJO and Moiranne Rose

Note: Neither I nor Moiranne Rose own any of the Final Fantasy characters from any of the Final Fantasy game, including the main franchise games, Crisis Core, and the movie "Advent Children." This takes place five years after the original game and three years after Advent Children. Moiranne and I have not played "Dirge of Cerberus," so some of the details, especially about Vincent, may not be exactly right. I really would like to thank Moiranne for her help with this fic and to Lt. Commander Richie for providing useful information that also helped guide the story.

Chapter 1: Cemeteries of Midgar

Somewhere out in the field, just outside of Midgar, it was eerily quiet. Even the beasts of the area were silent and still. They could tell that something powerful was coming.

Quite unexpectedly, out of the ground something started bubbling up. It appeared to be green water, but it wasn't. Anyone who came close to it would know it wasn't water at all. It had a strange, iridescent hum coming from it. It didn't feel wet but tingly, like electricity or magic. Yet, it was moving and flowing like water. It started as a small trickle, but it slowly became a puddle, and then a whole lake. And this lake was flowing uphill, as though it had a particular destination. This was a strange marvel rarely witnessed on the earth's surface. It was called the Lifestream.

Then, a marvel happened that had never been seen before. As the Lifestream continued to flow uphill to some unknown destination, something that looked like a human hand rose out of its waves. The hand reached out and grabbed a rock. The tide ebbed over the hand a few times and then abandoned it and its owner.

The owner of the hand was a woman, and she opened her eyes.

--

He opened his eyes. His hand was still stretched out in front of him.

Cloud sighed and sat up in his bed. Immediately, his head throbbed with pain! He grabbed both sides of his head and rubbed vigorously. Then, he just sat there and breathed, thinking about the dream. It's not possible, is it? People in the Lifestream can't really come out. They're too busy giving life to the planet. They're probably all merged together, their personalities lost. But . . . she's different. He remembered how three years ago, she came to him, helped him, healed him, SAVED him. He knew that she will always be there, and yet, at the same time, she was still so far away. Now, she won't abandon his imagination. She was haunting his every thought, living in his head, her voice always in his ears.

"Why?"

His only answer seemed to come back to him in a memory of a mysterious whisper that she breathed on the gondola ride at Golden Saucer:

"Cloud, I'm searching for you. I want to meet you."

"But I'm right here."

"I know but what I mean is . . . I want to meet you."

He just didn't know what to say. He didn't understand what she was trying to tell him. To him, she was just a girl who wouldn't leave him alone. She begged him into a bodyguard, and she pushed him into a date. He felt nothing for her. Then, at the Temple of the Ancients, he felt closer to her, and Cait Sith predicted they were perfect for each other. Oh, if only he could predict more specifically what would happen.

Just a day or two later, she was dead. Cloud buried her in the waters of the Forgotten City, and from then on he had an emptiness in his soul, which he could only fill with grief. For two years, he felt inadequate because of his regret. Then she forgave him for watching her die, not even trying to save her. Now another grief overtook the void--loneliness. Many of his friends are always there, especially Tifa. Cloud came to a realization three years ago that he was never alone, but he still felt lonely. Maybe it was because he kept thinking of what he lost.

He never granted her wish. She never could meet him now, really, unless . . .

Cloud shook his head again. "It's just a dream," he told himself. He's still got a whole day ahead of him. So, he got up and got ready, then headed out to Tifa's place to pick up his deliveries.

As soon as he walked out, he could tell something was different. Cloud couldn't explain why, but he suddenly felt good. There seemed to be a sweet smell in the air, and everything looked brighter. It couldn't be real. This city was still very polluted, under a gray sky. The town is in shambles, still falling apart! Yet riding his motorcycle around town, Cloud could just tell that something was almost cheerful about this town. It was almost . . . hopeful.

He wasn't the only one who felt good. When Tifa was giving him the daily orders to deliver, she was smiling, and humming! He didn't think he ever heard her hum, not even in Nibelheim. "What are you so cheerful about?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I just have this feeling that something wonderful is going to happen."

"Like what?"

Once they were free, she threw her hands up. "Don't ask me. It's just intuition, I guess."

As Cloud rode around town, he saw couples walking hand in hand down the sidewalks, and they waved at him! No one ever waves at him. He just nodded back. He saw children laughing and playing, and they called him by name. That didn't surprise him quite as much. Ever since the Geostigma breakout, Cloud had been kinda popular around the kids.

It was strange feeling suspicious about a good vibe, but Cloud couldn't help but feel suspicious. He circled the bike around the new Shinra headquarters and examined the windows. He saw the Turks, particularly Reno and Rude, whispering to each other. Then, Reno pointed to Cloud, and they walked off. So, they were up to something!

He rode his bike to the outskirts of the city and parked at the overlook, next to where he stuck the Buster Sword, his memorial to another fallen friend. The grass out on the plains looked . . . greener than usual. He remembered when he first saw Kadaj and his brothers; this place was like a wasteland! How is it that it looks so lush now?

Suddenly, a brilliant light surrounded him. He shielded his eyes and looked up. It was the sun! The sun came out! The sun never comes out over Midgar! "What's going on?" he whispered.

--

At the end of the day, he came back to the church building to think, and it happened. He knew this wouldn't last. That feeling came over him again, like a sweet darkness over his soul. No, not now, not now. Today had been a decent day, for once. He didn't need it ruined like this.

"Cloud?"

He looked to the doorway and saw her, a silhouette of her dress and her long hair. "It's a shadow, nothing more," he told himself. "Don't let it get to you."

"How are you, Cloud? Can I talk to you?"

He turned away from the shadow. "No. Why do you do this? Why do you keep haunting me?"

"I'm still searching for you, Cloud."

"You can't meet me. It's too late. So leave me alone!"

"Cloud, please, don't be angry."

"Go away, Aerith! I know you're not real!"

"You don't know. You don't understand."

"Enough! Stop it!" Cloud reached into the wall, a special hiding place he made himself. It seemed there was always only one way to make these visions end.

"Cloud . . . we're still friends, aren't we?"

"STOP IT!" Cloud came closer to the silhouette and struck at it with his sword.

He heard a sudden gasp. The shadow backed up into the light, and he could see that it was more than a shadow. It had color and skin. She was shuddering and cradling her arm. Blood was dripping from where the sword had hit her. Her right arm fell down to her side and picked up a rod. Her hand rubbed the green materia in the handle, and she was surrounded by a faint glow. "Cure," she whispered. Cloud watched as the wound closed up, as though he was watching it being made in rewind. He looked at his blade and at the floor, and he could still see blood.

"Aerith? You're alive?"

"That's right."

"Are . . . are you real?"

"See for yourself." She stretched out her hand. He held it. It felt solid enough. He gasped, and he very slowly raised the hand to his cheek. It felt so soft! Cloud sighed in pleasure. But then, he looked down on her in concern.

"Can you . . . stay?"

Aerith took her hand away and looked off to the distance. "I . . . don't know"

"It's impossible! You were in the Lifestream! How can this be happening?"

"Well . . . to tell you the truth, I think . . . I think something is wrong. Something . . . doesn't feel right."

"Anything I can do?"

Aerith suddenly shrugged and smiled. "Let's not worry about it now. Why don't we go see everyone? Tifa, how's Tifa's doing? And Marlene and Cid and Barret, and . . . everybody?"

"Aerith . . . come on. Let's go to Tifa's. I'm sure she'll be glad to see you."

--

"Yo! Tifa! You here?"

The long haired, female warrior ran down the steps as fast as she was able. She could not believe her ears, and when she reached the bar, to her amazement they were all there, waiting for her. "Biggs? Wedge? Jessie?"

"Sorry we're late," Jessie said.

She looked at the three of them, absolutely amazed and speechless.

"You OK, Tifa?" Biggs asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Uh . . . uh . . ."

"So, where's Barret?" Wedge asked. "Does he have our next mission ready?"

"Barret? Uh, he . . . he lives in Corel now."

"What's he doing in Corel?" Wedge asked.

"Managing the oil field out there."

"Oil field?" Jessie asked. "What about Shinra? What about Mako? What about the planet?"

There's been a lot of changes," Tifa explained. "Shinra doesn't use Mako energy anymore. AVALANCHE isn't needed."

"What? You broke AVALANCHE up and didn't tell us?" Biggs yelled

"You could have at least given us a severance!" Wedge added

Tifa gulped. "Well, the thing is . . . you're supposed to be dead."

"Dead?" they all said together.

"Don't you remember? The pillar falling?"

"I do . . . kinda remember that," Wedge said quietly.

"Yeah. I remember I thought I was a goner," Biggs nodded.

"But just after, we found ourselves outside of Midgar," Jessie said. "So we figured it just threw us a long distance and somehow we survived."

"Uh . . . that happened five years ago," Tifa replied.

"Five years? More like five minutes ago!" Biggs yelled.

"No, it was!"

"Does Cloud know?" Wedge asked.

"Of course, Cloud knows. Cloud survived!"

"Speaking of," Jessie said nodding toward the door. Cloud was standing in the doorway. Tifa looked in his direction, only to be more amazed.

"Hey Cloud, what's shaking?" Wedge said. "Ooh, who's that pretty girl you got with ya?"

"Does she have a sister?" Biggs chuckled.

Tifa walked up to him slowly. Cloud was standing there, smiling, and someone else familiar was standing next to him. "Aerith?" Tifa whispered.

"Hi, Tifa," she replied.

Jessie suddenly ran up to them. "Wow, Cloud. That looks really nice on you."

He gave her a confused look. "What?"

"The smile."

Cloud gave an embarrassed laugh and looked up at the bar. "I see it's contagious."

"I can't . . . this is . . ." Tifa looked away and shook her head. Then she laughed. "Well, I guess there's no sense in trying to figure it out! I had a feeling something wonderful was going to happen today, but I never would have expected this! I tell you what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna call the whole gang–Barret, Vincent, Cid, Yuffie, Red XIII, even Cait Sith, and we're going to throw the biggest party Midgar's ever seen!" She grabbed her phone and started dialing a number. "And they better not say no. It's not every day that four people come back from the dead!" She listened as the phone rang on the other end and then picked up. "Hello, Barret? You'll never guess who's here!"

--

The slums were filled with bright, colorful lights and cheerful music. Everybody from the old gang made it on the airship. Barret brought Marlene and her real father Dyne, and Cid had his wife Shera on his arm. Apparently, AVALANCHE wasn't the only group that was blessed with returning loved ones. Parents walked hand in hand with children, some Tifa noticed, who were victims of Geostigma before Aerith healed the plague. Other couples were holding each other extraordinarily close, as though they had been apart for a long time.

"How's this for a reunion?" Cloud thought aloud with a laugh.

Tifa prepared all sorts of food and drinks and gave them all out for free. Everyone was laughing, talking, and crying happy tears. Then, there was dancing. There was only one person who did not look like he was enjoying himself at all. Vincent stood alone and stared coldly at everyone. He never smiled, never said a word. Barret also seemed rather distant. Even though he was smiling and laughing like everyone else, there was clearly something on his mind.

Cloud was the most energetic of anyone. He took Aerith by both of her hands and spun her all around the square. Cloud never remembered ever smiling that big. He wouldn't stop laughing, even to the point of tears. Aerith was also smiling very big, but somehow he wasn't sure if she was as happy as he was. Then he spun her more slowly and pulled her close, looking deeply into her green eyes. He wanted to whisper one more time in her ear, "Can you stay?" But before he could–

"Stop!" The music suddenly ceased. Everyone turned toward the voice. An old man with a white beard and a bald head, wearing blue robes and somehow hovering, came before them. Cloud remembered him, but he remembered him as a cheerful, wise man, a man who laughed after every word he spoke, even with his dying breath. Now, the old man's face was full of panic and despair.

"Grandpa, you too!" Red XIII started romping toward the man, Bugenhagen, but he held his hand up to stop the creature's frolicking.

"Nanaki, no."

"What is it, Grandfather?"

Bugenhagen floated out in front of everyone. "Why are you celebrating? Why are you dancing? Why are you so happy?"

"Why shouldn't we be?" Cloud spoke up. "Our friends and loved ones that used to be in the Lifestream are back with us again."

"Foolish boy, do you not realize? This is not a night of joy. This is a time for weeping! This night is full of woe!" A lot of Midgar citizens booed and jeered at this statement.

"What'chu talkin' 'bout, old man?" Cid yelled.

"If this is happening, it comes not only to the good and righteous, but it comes also to the evil and degraded. Light is followed by darkness. Resurrection is followed by doom."

"How do you know?" Tifa asked.

"There has been a change in the flow of the Lifestream. That is what's causing this. The Lifestream is flowing in reverse! You know what that means."

"It's killin' the planet!" Barret realized.

"No, it's not!" Yuffie interjected. "I've been out there. The forest outside Junon is thriving more than usual."

"Where the Lifestream flows it gives the places it passes fresh, new vitality. But it will not last," Bugenhagen explained. "The life of the planet will gradually deplete and turn the land into endless desert. But that's not the worst thing!"

"What could be worse?" Tifa asked.

"This is the result of very strong, dark, evil magic. Somewhere, there is an ancient spell in effect that is absorbing the Lifestream! It is restoring life to one who was lost to the Lifestream. This spell will not only give one back life but make him indefinitely stronger than he was when alive." Bugenhagen turned to Aerith. "Could you not feel it? Even when you were in the Lifestream, could you not feel it pulling at you?"

Aerith suddenly looked pale. "I . . . I . . ." She shook her head and strained herself to remember.

"Sephiroth?" Cloud asked.

"Perhaps," Bugenhagen answered gravely with a nod. "Or perhaps something even more evil."

"How could he work such magic?"

"Incredible, boy! After all you know about Sephiroth, how can you ask such a question? His power can never be underestimated. But he is not the only one."

"But if it's absorbing the Lifestream, why are we here?" Aerith asked.

Bugenhagen looked very hard at Aerith. "Because we somehow found a way to resist the spell. We escaped."

"So, if we found the strength to resist it, then we might be able to stop it," Aerith whispered.

"And how do we do that?" Cloud asked.

"Follow the Lifestream. Follow the voice of the planet." Aerith closed her eyes and looked as though she was concentrating really hard. "It's calling for us."

--

"Reeve, I've been hearing a lot of noise out there. What's going on? . . . What?! A party? In the slums? . . . Well, you're right; at least it's not a riot. But what have they got to celebrate? . . . Oh come on! Be serious for once! . . . You got proof? . . . Show me proof, and then we'll talk." Rufus Shinra hung up the phone in frustration, not knowing that proof was standing right behind him.

"And you call yourself a president."

Rufus quickly wheeled around, amazed to see a very fat man behind him. "Father?"

The fat man laughed and started lighting a cigar. "Hello, Rufus. You look . . . pitiful."

"I look a sight better than you did when I last saw you . . . with Sephiroth's sword in your back!"

"Don't badmouth Sephiroth. I have reason to believe that Sephiroth brought me back."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't tell me you haven't seen it!"

"Seen what?"

"Out the window." He pulled the curtain of a large window and pointed to the river of green energy floating on the plain. "Pure Mako energy, flowing freely, no longer in the earth. It's there, for the taking! It can fuel Midgar for centuries! Don't tell me you haven't considered this glorious opportunity!"

"We don't use Mako anymore. We even tore down most of the reactors."

"What? You fool!" The man slapped him across the face.

"But Father, it was killing the planet. Because of our efforts, Sephiroth summoned Weapon! He nearly destroyed the planet!"

"I knew you wouldn't be fit for this job if you're making such mamby-pamby decisions. You send the Turks to investigate and harvest that energy, or I will!"

Rufus sighed uncomfortably as he looked back at the Lifestream.

--

The heroes all gathered at Tifa's Seventh Heaven, in the room downstairs where they used to have their AVALANCHE meetings.

"So, let's get this straight," Barret said. "Sephiroth's back, again, and he's manipulating the Lifestream?"

"He's bringing the dead back to life," Red XIII observed.

"No!" Aerith said suddenly. "He can't be given credit for that. I . . . I knew something was wrong. I remember I suddenly felt cold. I was trying to turn around, and I ended up breaking away. Still, it was my choice!"

"Well, I don't remember anything like that," Biggs said. "You, Wedge?"

"Uh-uhh," he replied, shaking his head.

"Well, obviously, it's not the same for everybody," Cid said shaking his head.

"So, what do we do?" Barret asked.

"Just like Aerith said, we gotta follow the Lifestream, see where it's going," Yuffie said. "Luckily, we can do that from a bird's eye view."

"What?" Wedge said.

"You know, in Shera, the airship!"

"Airship?" Jessie said.

"Isn't that right, Cid?"

"Oh!" the old man said. "Uh, sure, we could. It would make things a lot quicker, wouldn't it?"

"Shera?" Biggs said. "What is this all about?"

Barret smiled. "You guys should have been here five years ago. We had us an adventure! We went all around this continent in every which way! We climbed mountains, we flew, we went underwater, and we rode on chocobos. We fought all kinda of monsters, too!"

"Whoa, sounds like fun!" Jessie said.

"No way are we missing that again!" Wedge said.

"Yeah, count us in!" Biggs said.

"WOOOO!" Barret yelled as he pumped his fist and his gun in the air. "AVALANCHE IS BACK! AIN'T NO STOPPIN' THIS TRAIN WE'RE ON!"

"Wait," Jessie said, hushing him down. "Cloud, are you coming?"

"Am I coming?" he replied. "We're talking about stopping Sephiroth! Of course I'm coming!"

"What about you, Grandpa?" Red XIII asked.

For the first time that evening, Bugenhagen cracked a smile. "Hoo hoo! Nanaki, I'm afraid I'm still too frail. I will only hinder you."

"But didn't you say that you have enough strength to fight Sephiroth if you resisted his spell?"

"As long as I stay out of the Lifestream, the spell will be weakened. That is the same for all who avoided the spell. She is the one we must count on," he said nodding over to Aerith. "No, I believe I will go back to Cosmo Canyon and watch in my observatory."

"Then I will go, in your stead, Grandpa," Red XIII said bravely.

"If you're going, Red, I'll go!" Cait asserted as he hopped on the wastrel's back.

"Well, there's no way I'm gonna miss it!" Yuffie said with a back flip. "This ninja's gotta see some action!"

"What about you, Vincent?" Tifa asked. "You coming?"

Vincent was still standing alone, still looking very serious. He glanced over at Aerith for a moment, and his lip curled into a snarl. Then, he very quietly said his first and only word of the evening. "Yes."

"Yeah! The whole gang's together!" Barret cheered. "Just like old times."

"Well, we better get some sleep," Tifa said. "Best we start this adventure with our HP at its peak. I'll get you guys each a bed." But Cloud was already taking the lift out of the basement. Tifa followed him. "Hey, what's up?"

"Uh, make sure you get together some good supplies, Phoenix Downs, Hi Potions, Ethers, all that stuff," Cloud reminded her.

"Me? Aren't you the one who usually holds onto the gil?"

"I got something I need to take care of."

"I'll come with you."

"It's . . . kinda a secret."

"I can keep a secret. I just need to find someone to watch over Denzel and the others. Hey, have you seen Sakika?"

Cloud shook his head.

"She probably went to the church building. She was talking about watering the flowers. I just wish she wouldn't sneak off like that."

"I guess you might as well come with me then," Cloud said in resignation.

"Don't worry, Tifa. I'll watch over things," Aerith said as she came up.

"You sure?" Tifa asked.

Aerith just smiled. "It's the least I can do."

"Come on," Cloud gestured. Tifa eagerly followed him. Aerith watched as they drove off on Cloud's motorcycle. Then something caught her eye. It was only there for a flash, but Aerith was sure she saw something fly across the sky. She gasped. Could it be--?

* * *

"You've got to be kidding!"

"I wish I were, Reno," Rufus replied, "but those were Father's orders. You could ask him yourself, you know."

"But it's been like, 'We use Mako, we don't use Mako. We use Mako, we don't use Mako.' When are we going to make up our stupid minds?!"

"Didn't you tell him of our resolve to return the planet to the way it's supposed to be?" Elena asked.

"Of course I did, but he's stubborn. You remember how stubborn he is," Rufus answered.

The door of the conference room opened up suddenly, and Reeve came in. "Oh, am I interrupting something?"

"Reeve, Reeve, you're not going to believe this," Reno said. "The Lifestream is on the surface!"

"Yeah, I heard."

"What?!" all the Turks said at once.

"Didn't you guys go to the slums tonight? There was a big celebration down there because a lot of folks who were dead were coming back to life. The Cetra girl is one of them."

"The Ancient," a voice whispered as another figure slipped into the room. "That's not much of a surprise."

"TSENG!" everyone said at once.

The man stepped foreword and bowed his head.

"I was hoping we would have someone from this phenomenon on our side," Rufus said.

"Good to have you back!" Elena said.

"So," Reno said, coming toward him, "where've you been? What happened?"

"Nothing to tell," Tseng said softly.

"Awwwe, come on! Spill the beans!"

"That's enough, Reno," Rude said softly. "Reeve, go on."

"Well, there's already a rumor going around that Sephiroth or something's behind it. We're going to check it out in the morning."

"What, 'we?'" Reno said. "Did you hear something different?"

"Uh, I mean Cloud and everybody. And I'm not really going, just through Cait Sith."

"Why do you still use that puppet?" Elena asked. "It's not like they don't know the truth!"

"Yeah, I know, but it's still useful. They've taken a liking to me this way."

"Actually, it could be useful," Rufus thought aloud. "Father doesn't know about Reeve's covert project. With him there to keep tabs on their position, we could strategically set this mission up for failure."

"You mean, you want them to beat us?!" Reno asked in disbelief. "Sheesh! What is this world coming to?"

"President Shinra, do you think we should go to the North Crater?" Elena asked.

Reno shuddered. "Don't talk about that place! Just hearing about it gives me the willies."

"Well, if Sephiroth's really behind it—"

"What are we gonna find down there if we went, huh? More bits of Jenova? I doubt it. I bet it's more likely we'd run into three certain silver-haired guys."

"The Kadaj brothers are dead," Rude reminded him.

"Hey, if Tseng and the old president are alive, who's gonna count them out?"

Tseng spoke up, "It's the Promised Land, isn't it?"

"Well . . . yeah," Elena answered uncertainly

"I think we should go down there."

"And what do you think we'll find?" Reno asked.

"The Promise Land is said to be rich with Mako energy, remember?"

"Yeah, but what's that got to do with anything?"

"Materia, Reno! That's what we'd find, rare materia."

The Turks stuttered and looked at each other.

"If you're not going, I am."

"No!" Elena ran to his side. "I'm not letting you go alone, not again! We're Turks, and we stick together! Right guys?"

Rude nodded, but Reno just started into Tseng's poker-face. "Just what are you up to?" Reno asked.

"Never mind," Rufus answered for Tseng. "I'm sure you know what you're doing, Tseng, and I am concerned of that area anyway. All of you head up to the North Crater in the morning. I'll have Reeve call you to let you know what Cloud and the others are doing."

--

"NOOOOO!" Cloud stepped back into the patch flowers and pulled his hair.

"What's the matter?" Tifa asked.

"My sword! It's gone!" He pointed to a hole in the wall that had an empty sword holder.

"I thought you didn't go anywhere without your sword."

"My connection to Sephiroth never really disappeared, even after I was healed of Geostigma. Didn't I tell you what he said last time?"

"Of course. I'm sure you'd never forget." They said Sephiroth's ominous final words together, "I will never be a memory."

Cloud nodded. "Since I fell for his spell, I fear that my darkness will take over my light, and it might get out of control, like it did for him. So I locked my sword away, and I take it out only for emergencies." He hit his fist on the wall. "I never told anyone where I put it! Who would steal it?"

"I know who took the sword," a small voice answered.

Cloud turned around and saw a girl peeking out from behind a pew, looking innocently up at him and clutching a moogle doll. Tifa saw her too. "There you are, Saki! Now, why did you come here without telling us?"

"Everybody was gone. Sorry."

Cloud looked down at her and said gently, "Saki, who took my sword?"

"An angel," Saki replied in a voice filled with awe.

Cloud scoffed and shook his head. "Sakika, this isn't something to joke about!"

"It's true! He was just here! I came here to water the flowers, and I saw an angel trampling over them. He had two big wings! I told him to get off of the flowers, and he said he was sorry, but he didn't get off them. He opened up the wall, and he took out the sword! He raised it high over his head, like this!" She demonstrated.

"Well, why didn't you stop him?" Tifa asked.

"How can I stop an angel? And anyway, he said you owed him a sword, and he really needed one. Then he flew away, right out of that hole in the roof."

"Cloud, look, by your feet," Tifa said pointing.

Cloud looked down and saw right by his shoe two feathers. He picked them up and looked at them closely. One was white, and one was black.

"What does it mean?"

Cloud shook his head. "I don't know." Who would say Cloud owed him a sword? Did anyone ever give him a sword, anyone except–?

Tifa giggled. "Do you think it might really be an angel? A guardian angel, maybe?"

"If it is, he's not doing a good job. How am I going to fight Sephiroth without my sword?" He snapped his fingers. "Wait! The Buster Sword! It's still outside. Come on!" He hopped back on his motorcycle and zoomed to the outskirts of Midgar, but the Buster Sword wasn't there. "I don't get it! I put it right here! It was here this morning!"

"Cloud, another feather!" Tifa pointed at the ground. Cloud reached down and picked it up. There was just a white one this time. "He must have taken that one, too!"

"Why would he need it if he got the other one?" He leaned on the handlebars of his bike. "I think whoever did this doesn't want me to fight."

"Don't think that! You're just gonna have to get you a new sword, and I'm sure Yuffie would loan you some of her materia."

"You're right. I guess that's what I gotta do."

"In the meantime, I'll go to the items section and get our supplies."

So, Cloud visited the weapons shop. "Ah, Cloud!" the proprietor greeted. "Long time, no see."

"I need a sword," Cloud said curtly. "Best you got. It's, uh, kinda an emergency."

"Oh, what happened to your old sword? I thought you were famous for–"

"Never mind that! Just show me what you have."

"OK." He pulled out a large blade from behind the counter. "This one is the finest and latest developments in Shinra weapon technology. It packs quite a wallop. Contains five materia slots, two sets connected. The name of this blade is Oblivion."

Cloud looked it over very closely and examined its stats. "It looks great. How much?"

"Oh, the going price is 20,000 gil."

"Alright. Just a moment, I'll–" He opened up his account but was surprised to see it nearly all gone! "What the--? Is Tifa going crazy with the supplies?"

"Is there a problem?"

"Uh . . ." Cloud forced a smile, "would you be willing to haggle?"

"You know me better than that, Cloud, sticker price only!"

"Right. OK. Well then, what do have that's 5,000 gil or under?"

"Hmmm." The proprietor put the handsome blade under the counter and pulled out a narrow blade. "Well, this one new on the market. It's lightweight and designed aerodynamically for speedy access. It only has two materia slots, but it is still a fine blade. Its name is Maranatha."

"Maranatha?"

"It means, 'Savior, come quickly.'"

"Well, that's . . . appropriate, I guess. How much?"

"Since it for you, Cloud, I'll let you have it for 500 gil."

Cloud inspected the sword carefully. The stats were nowhere near as good as Oblivion, or either of the swords that were stolen from him, but it was still decent. He had swords in his possession that were worse. It looked rather nice, too, sparkling in the light. "It'll do."

"Excellent choice, Cloud."

"I hope so," he muttered as he handed the proprietor his money.

The sword didn't feel right in his hand as he was walking. Well, there was only one way to test it. He went outside and practiced some sword moves. He started simple, just moving it up and down or side to side; then he tried more advanced moves, crouching down, spinning around, leaping through the air. He had to admit, he liked that "whooshing" sound it was making every time he cut through the air, and the more he played with it, the more he got used to it. He ended with his victory pose, spinning the blade above his head. He brought the blade down to sheath it, and he saw the reflection of his gleaming eyes in the sparkling, silver blade. That's when he knew for sure that he liked this sword.

--

At midnight, Vincent went alone to the outskirts of Midgar. He wanted to see the phenomenon for himself. He had to climb down into the plain to see it clearly, but there it was, shimmering in the moonlight. His thoughts drifted back to a time that seemed forever ago when everything was completely different, **before **the nightmare began, **before **he became a Turk, even **before **he met Lucretia.

He was visiting Cosmo Canyon to see an old friend. Vincent actually wanted to visit for a long time, but then he heard that something terrible had happened. The young man was sitting alone in a room in a wooden chair, just staring off into space. His brown hair and beard were long and tangled, and his fingernails were also long. There was no expression on his face. It was strange to Vincent at the time. The two of them were just a few years apart, but now the other man looked at least twenty years older.

"Noam?" Vincent said as he walked cautiously over to the man. The man made no greeting; he didn't even look toward the voice. Vincent worked a smile. "Hi Noam! You remember me? It's me, Vincent Valentine."

He still made no response.

"We lived in the same town. You used to help me study grammar, remember?" Vincent counted off on his fingers as he methodically recited, "Am, is, are, was, were, be, been, being, have, has, had." Vincent chuckled a little, but the man still didn't move. "We were friends. Don't you remember at all? You were . . . like a big brother to me."

Still nothing.

Vincent sat down and looked at the once young man closely, examining the vacant facial expression. "I've wanted to come see you, to hear about all you've learned. Then I heard what happened. I couldn't believe it. It just didn't sound like you. You were always the 'better safe than sorry' kinda guy. I know this may sound selfish, but . . . can you tell me what it was like? Because I've always wondered."

He still made no movement.

"Is there nothing you can say? Can it even be put into words? Please, I must know."

The man still didn't look up, but his lips started to move, and he said in a weak, tired voice, "Colorless green ideas sleep furiously."

"What?"

At that, Noam for the first time lifted his head and looked straight at Vincent. "Colorless green ideas sleep furiously!" he repeated clearly, with an expression begging for Vincent to understand.

"I don't understand."

"Don't be offended," a female voice said behind him. A nurse was coming in with a tray of food. "Ever since we've found him, that's all he's been able to say. We think it's a side effect. People who've been exposed to that much Mako have been known to babble like that."

Vincent rose. "Will he ever be the same again?"

"Who's to say?"

He never was.

And those five words, the last words Vincent's best friend ever uttered had haunted him ever since. Even in his thirty year sleep, Vincent wrestled with the riddle, trying to figure it out. He never believed it was from Mako poisoning. That wasn't like Noam at all. Noam valued words more than anyone Vincent ever knew and always gave a great deal of thought before speaking. No, Noam was trying to tell him something, some secret he found hidden away that he thought Vincent might find. And now that secret was more important than ever, for more than one reason.

Vincent stared at the Lifestream, glistening in the moonlight. "I'll find it now."

--

Late that night, the proprietor of the weapon store was preparing to lock up when he felt a draft behind him. "I'm sorry, we're clos–oh." He turned his head and could barely see a tall figure standing in the shadows.

"Did he buy it?" a cold voice asked.

The proprietor turned and faced the visitor. "Yes. He bought it."

The figure nodded. "Excellent."

"He wasn't satisfied, though."

"Of course not, but that's beside the point."

"Why?"

"That does not concern you."

"But . . . but isn't this Cloud Strife we're talking about, the great hero? He saved my daughter from Geostigma! He saved Midgar from being destroyed again! He deserves much better than that piece of scrap metal!"

The figure came forward and grabbed him by the neck. "I told you not to question me, old man." The stranger tightened his grip and lifted the storekeeper off the ground. The proprietor still couldn't see the stranger's face, but he was too busy trying to gasp for air to think about it. Just as the storekeeper started fearing for his life, the stranger pushed him down. Then he tossed down a bag of gil. "There's the difference, as promised. Have a good evening." He turned on his heel and walked out the back of the store.

The proprietor took the bag with a shaky hand, opened the sack, and counted up the money. He still couldn't believe that man was who he claimed to be. "How does a dead man get a hold of this much money?"


	2. Last Flight of the Shera

Chapter 2: Last Flight of the Shera

Cloud made it to Seventh Heaven before sunrise. He was having trouble sleeping because he was worried about his sword. It didn't inspire much confidence, but he hoped that it would hold up against, well, against whatever he was hoping to defeat. So he sat at the bar and poured some coffee. Ahh, the life fluid. Before long, the lift started moving. Cloud looked up, expecting to see Tifa, but he was surprised to see Yuffie come up.

"Morning, Cloud!" she greeted cheerfully. "I never thought you were an early bird too."

"Yuffie, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"You want some materia, don't you?"

Cloud choked on his coffee. Who knew the ninja would get this perceptive? "How'd you know?"

"Tifa told me and Aerith all about your sword being stolen last night." Suddenly, she put her hands on her hips in anger. "Hey, don't give me that look! I didn't do it! What would I do with a sword?"

"I know it's not you, Yuffie." Cloud pulled the feathers out of his pocket. "This is my only clue. I found these at the scene of the crime. Sakika, one of the orphans staying here, said it was an angel. She could be making it up. She's got a wild imagin—"

"OK, Cloud," Yuffie interrupted, "since you're in distress, I'll let you have some materia . . . for 1000 gil."

"1000 g–you're making me pay?! That's ridiculous!"

"Take it or leave it."

"I'll . . . give you 500, just because I'm generous."

"750, and I'm not going a cent less!" Yuffie said, crossing her arms.

"Yuffie, I'm running kinda low on cash!"

"Hey, inflation affects us all, pal! High oil prices and everything. Honestly, we gotta talk to Barret about it."

"I thought you were a thief."

"What, you'd rather I'd steal the money from you? 'Cause that can be arranged."

"No, no." Cloud sighed. "550."

"Deal." Cloud took a note out of his pocket and handed it to Yuffie. He quickly put his hand in his pocket afterwards. Something told him he had to be extra careful, or the little thief will play her tricks again. Yuffie, meanwhile, opened her box and handed Cloud a glowing, green, crystal-like sphere with just a glint of yellow in the middle. "Here you go!"

"Lightning, huh? Hey . . ." Cloud looked closely at it as he held it up to the light. "It's still at level one, isn't it?"

"Well, it won't take you long to level up! Besides, what do you need materia for, really? You got along fine without it three years ago."

"I know, but . . . well, here's the thing." He drew Maranatha.

"Ooh! Sparkly!"

"I think I'd do better with some support materia, Power Up maybe?"

"Sure, but it'll cost you another 100 gil."

Cloud groaned. "Well, when I lose the battle against Sephiroth, I hope you'll be happy and rich!"

"You're not gonna lose! You're Cloud, after all."

Cloud gave an exasperated sigh. "We'll just talk about this later."

"Alright. Pleasure doing business!" Yuffie got up and started to walk out of the room, but then she turned around. "Oh yeah. Aerith thinks she knows who did it," she said tauntingly.

"Who?!"

"Oh, I'll tell you . . . for one—"

"Forget it! I'll just ask her later."

"Suit yourself." Yuffie left the room. Cloud shook his head. He liked her better as a thief.

Soon after, Tifa came up. "Well, I didn't expect down here this early." She sat down in front of him and poured a cup of coffee. "Any luck?"

"Tifa, just how much did you spend on supplies?" Cloud asked.

"I got at least 10 of everything, but I got 20 Potions and Phoenix Downs. It shouldn't have been more than a couple hundred gil. Why?"

"Because this was all I could afford." Cloud showed her the blade.

"Well, what's wrong with that sword? It looks kinda nice."

"Tifa, I don't need it to look nice. I need it to be strong. Just look at the stats!"

"I bet they'll get better as you level up. And if they don't, you can just sell it in another town. You'll probably get a good price for it."

"I guess you're right."

A loud yawn was heard from the top of the stairs as Biggs and Wedge came down. "You guys sleep OK?" Tifa asked.

"Best sleep I had in ages!" Biggs answered.

Yuffie, coming back in, snickered. "That's funny, because he was dead," she said a little louder than she meant. Biggs just stared at her, or rather he was staring at how shiny the sun made her hair look.

"I'm glad somebody slept well," Cloud muttered.

"You didn't get to sleep, Cloud?" Wedge asked.

"I'll be ok. My HP's fine," Cloud said. "Besides, it may be for the best. I've been having these weird dreams lately."

"I hope you'll be OK, Cloud," Tifa said. "Oh, Shera said she's going to watch over the kids."

"Shera?"

"You know, Cid's wife. She said she was used to it, which I don't really get since she and Cid don't have children. But I guess if it works . . ."

"Yeah," Cloud nodded.

As soon as everyone was awake, they went together to board the airship. It was the first time Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie took a good look at their surroundings. "Man, this town has gotten bigger!" Jessie muttered sleepily.

"Well, it's not really Midgar," Tifa explained. "It's a bigger city built around Midgar. Some people call it New Midgar, and some call it the Edge Town. Most of us just call it Midgar, though, 'cause it's close enough."

"But why did they do that?" Wedge complained.

"A lot has changed in five years," Tifa answered with a shrug.

They approached the airship, and the former AVALANCHE members ran around it excitedly. Wedge seemed the most enthused about it. He was near to hopping about in excitement. All Biggs did was whistle and say "She's a beaut!" Wedge took in everything about the Shera and went on and on about how cool it was.

"Well, folks, are we gonna look at it, or are we gonna get on?" Cid snapped.

"Oh. Right," Wedge answered. He followed the others onto the ship.

Before he boarded the Shera, Cloud looked back out at the sky. It looked just as gray as ever. "No sun over Midgar today," he mumbled.

"Huh?" Tifa said.

Cloud shook his head. "Nothing."

Inside, Wedge marveled at every detail, even the bolts that held everything together. Everybody just ignored him.

"So, Barret, what are your orders?" Biggs asked suddenly.

"Hmm?" Barret answered, acting surprised. "Oh, Sephiroth's more Cloud's department."

"Cloud? The rookie?"

"Biggs!" Jessie said, annoyed.

Biggs rolled his eyes. "Oh, right, five years have passed. I keep forgetting. Sorry. So, Cloud, what are your orders?"

"Oh, uh . . ." Cloud cleared his throat and said in an authoritative tone, "Let's move out!"

"Right!" Biggs replied with a salute. "That wasn't too bad," he said under his breath after Cloud turned away.

Cid took to the controls. "Everybody on? OK, fasten your seatbelts, kiddos. Here we go!" He started the engines up, and they quickly took to the skies. As soon as they were airborne, most of the group ran to the windows.

"Whoa! Awesome!" Biggs said.

"We're flying! We're really flying!" Jessie gasped, amazed. She was thrilled by the idea of being close to the sky more than anything else, there was a kind of beauty in it she wanted to embrace sometimes.

"It's beautiful up here," Aerith mused. She was pleased with the sky, having still been fearful of it by the time her death had come prematurely.

Wedge looked back to Cid. "Hey, Pilot—"

"CAPTAIN!" Cid corrected.

"Right, Captain, any way I can have the controls for a little while."

"No siree! I'm the only one who knows how to fly this thing."

"But I—"

"Just tell me where I'm going, somebody!"

"What?" Yuffie yelled back.

"Where's the Lifestream going?"

Cloud scanned the ground below, but Tifa was the one who spotted it first. "There it is!" she said, pointing. "Looks like it's going toward Junon."

"So, west?" Cid asked.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"That's odd," Cait Sith spoke up.

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked.

"It's going west? I would have thought it was going north, toward the North Cave."

"What's up there?" Jessie asked.

"The Promised Land."

Jessie gasped. "There really is a Promised Land? I thought that was just a legend."

"It's a long story," Cloud muttered. He looked back at Aerith. "Think we should check it out? We might find a clue there, or in the City of the Ancients."

Aerith rested her chin in her hand. "Perhaps but . . ."

"Yes?"

Aerith shook her head. "I just worried that we won't have time."

"We won't take long," Tifa offered.

"Yeah, we won't stay," Cloud nodded. "If the Lifestream isn't going up there, we shouldn't waste time. But maybe we'll find something there, like what's going on or how to stop it."

"So, you want me to change course?" Cid asked.

"Yeah. Take us north."

"North it is!"

* * *

"They're heading toward us?" Reno asked on the phone. "Is there anyway you can tell them it's just a waste of time? . . . Yeah, it's been real dullsville down here. All we've been doing is turning over rocks. No materia, no Jenova, nothing . . . No, we haven't seen the Kadaj brothers either. That's the good news. I tell you what, though, Tseng's been acting real weird. He seems convinced that there's something here . . . Yeah, I know, but still, he's not himself . . . We might just have to leave him here. I'll talk to Elena and Rude about it. I bet the old President wouldn't want us up here for too long anyway . . . Well, thanks for the update, Reeve." He hung up.

"I know," he heard Tseng's voice say.

"Huh?" Reno went closer to where the voice was coming from. He found Tseng also talking on a cell phone while hiding behind a stone wall.

"Calm down, won't you? We're going to take care of it, remember? . . . No, not now! We discussed this! . . . It's going to be fine. Everything's set in place. You do your part, and I'll do mine. Understand? . . . Good." He hung up.

"Who were you talking to?" Reno asked.

Tseng lifted an eyebrow. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Hey, hey! Aren't you still a Turk? Turks don't keep secrets from each other!"

"I am still a Turk and I will always be a Turk, but that doesn't mean that I can't have my own agenda. It doesn't concern you, Reno."

"Yeah, right. Look, the only reason for us to stick around is because Cloud and everybody else are on their way. After we tango with them, if you want to stick around and dig through rocks, be my guest. The rest of us are gonna head for the Lifestream."

Tseng smirked. "You're scared, aren't you Reno?"

"Scared?! Me?! OK, I'll admit, I'm . . . uneasy because of our encounter with the Kadaj brothers, but that doesn't mean I'm scared!"

"If that's your story . . ." Tseng said thoughtfully, betraying some slight amusement, but hiding it well.

"It's not a story!"

"Nothing's keeping you here. You want to investigate the Lifestream, be my guest. I'll do my own research and phone you if I find anything."

"What about Cloud and—?"

"Don't worry about them. You'll meet soon, right?" He walked past Reno before the Turk could say another word.

* * *

Most of the passengers on the Shera were on the observation deck, watching as the clouds sped past. While Biggs was marveling at the sky, his attention drifted. The ninja girl was apart from everyone else, practicing tai chi. He smiled, slicked back his hair, and approached her. "Doing another dance routine?"

"Huh?" Yuffie stopped and turned around. "Oh, no, I'm practicing for battle. You know, in case we fight any."

"I saw you over at the party last night. You can really cut a rug."

Yuffie giggled and shrugged. "Thanks."

"So what's your name?"

"Yuffie?"

"I'm Biggs."

"Yeah, I know."

"Where you from?"

"Wutai."

"Wutai? That sounds familiar."

"We had a war. Ten years ago," Yuffie answered, annoyed.

"Oh . . . yeah. How'd that go?"

"We lost!"

"Oh. Did you fight in it? I bet Wutai would've won if you had fought in it."

"I was just a kid! Trust me, I wanted to."

"Right. So . . ."

"Listen, I got somebody waiting on me. In Wutai."

"Really? What's his name?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know your boyfriend's name?!"

"Well, he's not . . . my dad, Godo, picked him out when I was just three years old. He won't even tell me who it is until I'm of the age to marry. It won't be long now."

"An arranged marriage? That stinks."

"Yeah. So, you know I can't . . ."

"Oh, I understand."

"I'm gonna go to the cabin and take a nap—I mean read a book!" She backed away and escaped into the shadows.

Biggs sighed and joined Wedge and Jessie. "Man, I feel so isolated here!"

"Tell me about it," Wedge nodded.

"You are aware that she's a thief," Jessie said in a cautious tone.

"Yeah, I know," Biggs said with a sigh.

"You know, guys, I've been wondering, just what is the Lifestream?" Wedge said.

"Beats me," Biggs shrugged.

"I've heard of it before," Jessie answered. "It's pretty much another name for Mako energy. There's a lot of mysticism and folklore about it, probably because of its magic properties when it's collected into materia. I don't have all that part straight, but I do know the planet's dependent on it."

"But what does it have to do with all this, and with us?" Wedge asked.

"I don't know. I kinda wish we had that chance to go to Cosmo Canyon, like Barret promised us. People there know a lot of Lifestream folklore. I think they say that the Lifestream is made up of the souls of the dead. Really, though, it's just a fairy tale. It can't be proven."

Cloud happened to be passing by, and he caught that part of the conversation. Angrily, he turned to Jessie. "How can you say that? You were there, remember?"

"Well, if we were, we don't!" Biggs said back in frustration.

"How can you not remember the Lifestream?! For crying out loud, you were there for five years!"

"Leave them alone, Cloud," a dark voice said from the corner. Everybody turned around. Vincent was standing in the shadows, his back against the wall. "They don't understand," he continued.

"Huh?!" everyone else said in unison.

"What's your deal, Vincent?" Cloud said, annoyed.

Jessie put her hands on her hips. She hated being told that she didn't understand something. "What is there that I don't get?"

Vincent slowly walked toward them. The former AVALANCHE members stared as his cape floated around him as he walked. He stopped and looked Jessie in the eye. "Colorless green ideas sleep fiercely."

"Excuse me?" she said slowly.

"What kind of nonsense is that?" Wedge moaned.

Vincent then turned his stare to Wedge. "THAT is the Lifestream." Everyone gaped at him, but Vincent just slowly walked out of the room. Vincent had always been known for his whimsicality, though it would have been more natural from Nanaki.

"Weird guy," Biggs muttered.

Cloud sighed, shook his head, and went to the opposite side of the deck. Aerith was standing there alone, watching the clouds and humming to herself that same song on the sheet music on Tifa's piano in Nibelheim.

"Why is it they don't remember being in the Lifestream, and you do?" Cloud asked.

"Not everyone in the Lifestream is very active," she answered. "Some in the Lifestream may not even realize they are there, just entirely numb. You could say, they never reach the planet, but they make it close."

"So, what's it like, in the Lifestream? I mean, after you die."

"I don't know if I can explain it. It just feels . . . it's like . . . it's a wonderful, overwhelming, refreshing emotion. And it's all around you."

"But are you still you? Or do you just merge into everything else that's there?"

"Well, if I wasn't still me, I wouldn't have been able to come, would I? No, our personalities are still distinct, and some are stronger than others."

"Is it . . . is it better than being alive?"

Aerith paused and looked away. "I don't know. When I was first in the Lifestream, there were so many things that I missed about life, but now that I'm back, I pine for the Lifestream. I want to go back so badly, it almost hurts." She looked over at him curiously. "Cloud, do you remember when you were in the Lifestream?"

"Kinda. I remember it put me together when I was falling apart."

"How about more recently?"

Cloud slowly shook his head. "No, not really."

"You weren't there for very long. You see, to really remember the Lifestream, to really appreciate it, you have to love it more than you . . . love life. If you try to fight against the Lifestream going in, you'll always be fighting." She shook her head. "It's really hard to explain."

"Yeah. I had a feeling it would be."

"Cloud, you look . . . tired. Tifa told me you didn't sleep well last night."

"I'm OK."

"No, you're not. You're troubled. I can feel it in you."

"What do you mean you can—?"

"The Lifestream can make you more sensitive to the heart. I can feel others emotions as strongly as I can feel my own, maybe even more so. You need to rest."

"I guess a nap would do me good." He started to leave. "Wait!" He turned back around. "Yuffie told me that you think you know who stole my sword."

"Oh . . . that's right," she answered softly.

He ran back to her. "Who is it?"

"Don't get too mad, ok? I think it's Zack."

"Zack? From Gongaga?"

Aerith nodded. "Tifa told me Sakika said you owed him a sword, and Zack gave you the Buster Sword, remember?"

"But why would he steal my sword before I have to face Sephiroth again? He's supposed to be my friend. He saved me!"

"He must have a reason."

"Besides, I don't remember him all that well, but I really don't remember him with wings!"

"I don't know about that. Sometimes, things change in the Lifestream. Zack really wanted to feel its freedom, its liberation. I thought last night I saw him . . . flying. It was only for a moment." She smiled and shrugged. "I could be just seeing things!"

Cloud felt a tiny sting of jealousy as she talked about Zack and looked out at the sky. "You want to see him, don't you?"

"Of course I do! But it would be different from seeing you and the others. I mean, he's always there, in the Lifestream."

"If he really did steal my sword, would you be on his side?"

"I . . . I want to find out why first."

Cloud nodded. That was a good answer. He started to head back to the cabin, but Jessie joined him. "So, um, is she your girlfriend?" she asked timidly.

Cloud really didn't know how to answer. He stuttered for a few minutes and scratched his head. He couldn't deny his feelings, but he wasn't entirely sure if they were mutual. Even if they were, what did it matter? "She . . . she's a very close friend. You have to understand, I haven't seen her in a very long time. I missed her."

"Did you miss me?"

"Sometimes. I think about how you made that special ID for me. I wished I got to know you better."

"I'm glad to hear that. I wanted to know you better, too. You know when Barret promised that he'd take us all to Cosmo Canyon when everything was over? I was thinking about asking you if you'd like to go. I . . . I kinda liked you. I like how strong you were, and I thought you were really nice. You got me out of some binds, you know?"

"Jessie . . . that's . . ."

"I didn't know what Tifa would think, though."

Aerith . . . Tifa . . . and now, Jessie. Cloud laughed. "Never thought I'd be a ladies man," he thought. "I really . . . don't know what to say," he said out loud. "Give me some time to think, alright?"

"OK. Oh wait, I wanted to ask you, what about Sephiroth? Wasn't he in SOLDIER? You were in SOLDIER, weren't you?"

The other two former AVALANCHE members crowded with her. "Yeah, first class, right?" Wedge added. "Did you know him?"

"Tell us all about it!" Biggs said.

Cloud sighed. He didn't want to go over the story again, especially now that he knew most of the details. But then he figured he had to. "You guys sit down. This'll take a while." And he told them everything, while thinking back on it himself, what happened in Nibelheim ten years ago, the Reunion and the summoning of Weapon five years ago, even a little about Geostigma and the Kadaj brothers three years ago. He wasn't sure if they believed him, but they were listening very attentively to every word. Even some of the others who knew the story came close to listen. They all had tried to push it way back in their minds, scared of the memories. But they were somehow relieved when the past flowed back over them again.

"Wow," Wedge said when it was all over.

"We really did miss a lot, didn't we?" Biggs said.

Cloud yawned. He really was tired now. "Well, I think I'm gonna hit the hay. Have Cid call me when we get there."

"Hey, we've been flying for hours," Cait Sith suddenly spoke up. "Why haven't we gotten there?"

"Yeah, you're right," Wedge answered. "I'm gonna go to the bridge and check it out."

"You got experience?" Biggs asked.

"Not much, but I'm sure the Pilot could use a helping hand."

"Cloud!" Aerith called as he was getting off the deck. "Sleep satisfied."

"Uh, yeah," Jessie nodded. "Don't let the bedbugs bite."

Cloud waved politely. "Thanks."

* * *

"Hey, Pilot!"

"CAPTAIN!" Cid yelled at Wedge.

"Sorry. I'll get it right eventually. We were just wondering when we're gonna get there."

"We'll get there when we get there, alright!"

"Well . . . I mean . . . do you need any help?"

Cid sighed. "To tell you the truth, kid, I wonder why we're not there myself. I've been heading true north for hours now, but I haven't seen anything of our destination."

"What does it look like?"

"Well, there's a lot of snowy mountains, and a big hole in the ground!" Cid said sarcastically. "It's kinda hard to miss."

Wedge walked up to one of the vacant control panels. He pushed some buttons and—

"Hey, hey, hey! Be careful with that! It's very delicate equipment!"

"I work with this stuff. I know what I'm doing." He pushed some buttons and inspected it very closely. "Yep, here's your problem. It's your navigation system. It's all messed up."

"You got to be kidding! Before I came down here, I checked everything head to toe. I could swear on my mother's grave that every single thing was—" But then, Cid looked at the control panel. "Son of a bandersnatch," he whispered while shaking his head angrily. "How in the world did that happen?"

"I don't know, but I think I can fix it."

"Please do."

* * *

"Keep your hat on, Mr. President, sir. We're heading toward the Lifestream now . . . Oh, OK, sorry. We're heading toward the Mako power source now . . . Look, we were checking something else out that we thought was important, but it's a dead end. That's why most of are leaving . . . Oh, Rude, Elena, and me . . . Who's staying? Uh . . . nobody . . . Yeah, I wasn't thinking. Listen, we're all getting paid, right?" Reno had to hold the cell phone away from his ear as the old president started screaming something. "You do what?! . . . That's a little extreme, if you ask me . . . Yeah, alright, I'll tell them. Like I said, we're getting right on it, OK? Yeah, thank you, good night!" He hung up as he stepped out of the crater.

"Who was that?" Elena asked.

"The former president. He just threatened our lives if we didn't get right on the Lifestream thing."

"You serious?"

"Yeah. Wait till I tell ya."

"Wonder what was taking Cloud and them so long? Reeve said they were coming this way, didn't he? I thought they would be here by now, since they were going by airship."

"I was thinking the same thing. Think we could be psychic?" Reno waved his hands and made a ghostly "ooh" sound.

"Please," Elena scoffed, rolling her eyes. He had always been childish. "And you're sure Tseng isn't coming with us?"

"Yeah. He thinks there's still something to find here."

"Wish he was coming."

"He's gonna call when he finds something. I guess we'll pick up where we leave off then."

Elena gave him a hard, concerned look, an expression she rarely ever made. "Reno . . . are you sure this is a good idea, leaving him alone again?"

And Reno also expressed an emotion he rarely shared with the other Turks--frustration. "Elena, it's his choice! He wants to stay out here and dig through rubble that we picked over a million times already. He's a grown man! Let him do what he wants! He'll be--"

"'--fine,'" Elena said with him. "'He can take care of himself. He's Tseng, after all.' Isn't that what you said last time?"

Reno turned away for a moment to hide his guilt. Just then, Rude came up with the helicopter. Elena jumped on through the open door. Reno started, but then he thought he saw something shoot through the sky. He closed his eyes and shook his head, and it was gone. Wonder what that wa—

"Something wrong?" Rude called over the rotating blades.

"The sun just got in my eyes for a moment!" Reno yelled back.

"Better get on quick before something else does!" Reno nodded and hopped on.

* * *

Cloud went into a deep sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Then, he had a strange dream. He never saw anything, but he could hear a voice, a whisper that sounded female.

"You poor creature."

"Huh?" Cloud said in his sleep.

"You've been lied to and became a confused wanderer. I feel how frightened and hurt you are."

"Who lied to me?"

"But I will tell you the truth. I, only I, can give you what you seek. It shall be yours."

"What . . . I . . . seek . . ."

"All you need do is trust me."

"Trust you?"

"Do you trust me, Nephew?"

"Nephew?"

BAM!

Cloud jumped up from the bed. The whole ship was shaking, and it felt like it was rapidly descending. Cid's frantic voice came on the PA: "EVERYBODY HANG ON TO SOMETHING! WE'RE CRASHING!"

"Crashing?!" Cloud ran to the bridge. "What's the matter?"

"Sudden failure in the engine!" Wedge yelled back. "Nothing we could do!"

"I can't believe it!" Cid yelled. "First the navigation, now this!"

"What do we do?" Tifa yelled. "Have we got parachutes?"

"We're doing all we can to make this the safest landing possible!" He turned to Wedge. "Hit the brakes, kid!"

"Me?"

"Who else would I be talking to? Come on! The rest of you, pray!" Neither of them literally "hit the brakes." In fact, it's kind of hard to explain what they did, but though the Shera made a rough landing, no one was hurt. Everybody walked out into the dark (Cloud didn't realize until then that it was really the middle of the night) and stared at the ruined, smoking airship. Cid growled and kicked Shera, and more smoke billowed out. "STUPID, WORTHLESS HUNK OF JUNK!" he yelled, along a number of other things.

"Didn't you name it after your wife?" Tifa reminded.

"Yeah, that's right. She's pretty worthless too!"

"You don't mean that, and you know it."

"Hey, Pilot!" Wedge called.

"It's Captain, and the name's Cid!" Cid yelled back.

"Right sir, sorry sir. Take a look at this."

Cid ran to the back of the ship where Wedge was pointing. "Leaping chocobos!! What in the name of Bahamut's going on here?"

"Well, if I had to venture a guess, I'd have to say . . . we were attacked."

Along the whole back engine was a huge gash that looked like it was caused by a sword.

"Attacked? Why the heck didn't you tell us, man?!" Barret demanded.

"Don't look at me!" Cid said. "Nothing came up on the scanner! The alarm didn't go off! It must have been malfunctioning, too." He ended up taking a few deep breaths to calm down. Then, he turned around and gave a forced smile. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, I guess it's the long way for us."

"You think we're ready for such a journey?" Tifa asked doubtfully.

"Well, we better be, because unless we're lucky enough to catch a chocobo, our stupid feet are the only way of getting around!"

"Wait!" Jessie said. "Aren't we even gonna try to fix it?"

"You got a welder? And about a million other tools? And about a month to fix it? I didn't think so!"

Cloud just stared at the damage. It was huge, and it looked so much like a sword made it. It must have been a strong sword that caused such destruction, much bigger than Maranatha. And the attack was done in midair at night, when probably nearly everyone was asleep. It must have been that the sword thief, whoever it is, doesn't want them to fly. For whatever reason, they had to make the journey on foot. But why? And how did he get up there? Was it really an angel? Or not an angel, a demon more like.

"Five years," Barret sighed. "We're not as young as we used to be."

"Hey, I'm not all that old!" Yuffie retorted with her hands on her hips. "I'm 21! That's as old as Cloud was when I first met him."

"Speak for yourself, kid. I'm 40!"

"And I'm 26 now," Cloud said quietly.

"And don't get me started about how old I am!" Cid snapped, cranky over too many things.

"Same here," Vincent said mysteriously.

"Awwwe, come on," Yuffie said as she playfully shoved Cloud's arm, trying to make him snap out of it. "We're all young inside, right? 'Cause we're warriors at heart! We're just gonna keep at it!"

"You'll learn it's not so easy," Tifa answered.

"Don't get so down, guys," Aerith said gently. She really needed to cheer the whole team up sometimes. Maybe that was the reason why she was here. "Just because we're losing doesn't mean we've lost, right?"

Cloud nodded, finding sense and healing in her words. "Yeah, you're right, Aerith."

"But if we're not lost . . . where are we?" Wedge asked.

It was a good question.


	3. Lost!

Chapter 3: Lost!

Eventually, everybody decided they were too tired to really think about where they were, which was probably simpler than puzzling over it for possibly hours. The cabin was in such disarray that they couldn't sleep there, so most of them camped out under the stars. Cloud went into an even deeper, dreamless sleep. He woke with the first rays of daylight, but it wasn't the sun that woke him.

_"Cloud!"_

"Huh?" The voice. It sounded far away and yet very near. It wasn't the same voice from the first dream he had that night. It was a kinda sing-songy, but it sounded in pain. "Who's there?"

_"Maranatha!"_

"Hello? Where are you? Hello?" Cloud got up and looked all around, but he couldn't find the source of the voice. It started crying. "Are you in trouble? Are you hurt? Is there anything I can do?"

_"Maranatha!"_

"Cloud?" Tifa said, approaching him. "What's the matter?"

"Don't you hear that?" he said.

"Hear what?"

"Someone's crying. I think they need our help."

Tifa closed her eyes and stood very still, but she shook her head. "I can't."

"How can you not hear it?"

"I don't . . . hear anything."

Cloud was quiet for a moment then realized he couldn't hear it either. The crying had stopped. "Maybe it's just the wind," he muttered, turning back. He was worried, though. First, that voice in his dream, and now he was hearing things again. Could Sephiroth be playing mind games again? Is he turning Cloud into a puppet?

After everybody was awake, they argued about what to do. About half of them wanted to explore the terrain, to see if any of them could figure out where they are. Some of them wanted to find the nearest town. Wedge and Jessie still wanted to see if they could fix the Shera. In the end, though, Cloud decided there was only one choice.

"We don't have time to dilly-dally. We gotta find the Lifestream and get back on track! As long as we do that, it doesn't matter where we are." He turned to Aerith. "Do you know where it is? Can you feel it?"

She closed her eyes, smiled, and nodded. "Mmm-hmm."

"Great. You lead the way."

"Why her?" Biggs said in an annoyed tone.

"She's an Ancient, the last one. She's the only one who can hear the voice of the planet." Aerith started running toward the east, skirt picking up in the little wind there was. "Let's go!"

So they followed her for a while. Along the way, they came across some monsters. Cloud led the fight, and he regularly rotated the other fighters in the party so that they'd get a chance to level up. Aerith always made sure to heal them after battle. It felt good to be fighting together again. Still, Cloud was very frustrated with his sword. It wasn't taking as much HP as he was used to. In one battle, after he gave his third blow, he shouted in frustration at the monster, "Oh come on! You'd be dead by now!"

After a while, Wedge called everyone over. "Hey guys, what are all these markings on the ground?"

Everybody crowded around. Cloud recognized them at once. "Chocobo tracks!"

"Oh really?" Jessie said. "I never rode a chocobo before!"

"Yuffie, you got some lure materia?"

"Let's see," she said as she searched through her box. "Here it is!" She pulled out a pink globe. Cloud reached for it, but she pulled it back. "Ah ah ah!" she said shaking her finger. "It's gonna cost ya."

"Yuffie—"

"Come on. I know you got some gil on you now!"

"If you're charging, why don't you use it? Or do you want us to make the rest of this journey on foot?"

"Well, when you put it that way, here." She tossed it over to him. "But you have to give it right back!"

He started sliding it in the slot while explaining, "Now this might be kinda hit or miss because we don't have any greens on us." Strangely enough, though, the materia didn't completely fit. "Huh. It's like it stuck. Hang on, I got this," he said as he twisted it.

"Um, Cloud?" Tifa spoke up.

"Just a minute, Tifa!"

"Cloud . . . turn around."

"What for?"

Just then, he heard a loud chirp. Cloud turned around and saw a chocobo right there behind him. "Well . . . isn't that lucky? And there aren't any monsters around, so . . ." He reached up and touched the bird's feathers, and the chocobo tweeted happily in response. "I think I got its trust." He went around and mounted the bird easily. Then he tossed Yuffie back her materia. "You guys can see if you can find another one. Otherwise, we'll take turns." He patted the chocobo's neck, pointed at Aerith, and instructed, "OK, follow her!" The chocobo hopped and tweeted, shaking its head in a way that was not unlike its blonde rider, then off they went!

--

Once more, the memories plagued his mind. It was astonishing how clear his memory was of that day just over a year ago. He couldn't even entirely remember the Ancient girl's voice or what Meteor looked like hanging in the sky. But he could always remember the sounds, even the tone in everyone's voice. He remembered the dank smells of the caves. He shivered at the memory of the chill.

They just had lunch over at the inn. It was the best chocobo cheeseburger he ever tasted, and he was still licking the residue from the Moogle Puffs from his fingers (which made Elena shoot him that old "act-your-age" look). But now they had a job to do. All four of them had just entered the cave discovered in Mt. Nibel. Just a few meters in, though, the passage broke off in three directions.

"We got a lot of ground to cover," Rude said.

"We should split up," Tseng said firmly

"Are you sure that's smart?" Elena asked.

"We have no other choice. The president wants our report by the end of the week. We can't get it to him on schedule if we all go down these passages one at a time."

"I agree," Rude nodded.

"Me too," he said.

"It's settled, then. Elena, you and Rude investigate the chambers going east. Reno, you see to the ones going north. I will go west."

"Sounds like a plan! Let's meet back here at, say, eighteen hundred hours?"

Rude nodded. Tseng started heading on his way.

"Hey, wait a minute! Tseng, you're writing the report again, right?"

Tseng turned back and answered in an annoyed tone, "Of course I am, Reno!"

"Whew! That's a relief."

"Yes, I'd never let you write it; your grammar's horrible."

Reno laughed. He knew it was Tseng's idea of a joke. "I know, I ain't got no spellin' neither."

Tseng pointed a threatening finger at him. "But you better take thorough notes!"

"Will do!" Reno called after him as Tseng walked back.

"I really don't know about this," Elena said in a deeply concerned voice. "This mountain isn't stable. I don't think we should be separated."

"Stop being such a worrywart, Elena," Reno answered. "Nothing's gonna happen as long as we're careful, and we are! We're Turks, aren't we?"

"Well, if there's any trouble, make sure to phone Rude and me."

It was a rather unproductive afternoon for Reno. Basically, all he did was make his way through those rock tunnels and take some pictures of markings on the wall that meant nothing to him. Elena had reason to be concerned. She was right; the mountain was not stable, especially after all the demolition, but he never felt any seismic activity to be concerned about. A few times, Elena would check in with him to make sure he was OK. And sometimes, Reno would message Tseng to do the same or to ask for assistance. But Tseng never answered.

It annoyed Reno after a while. "Just who do you think you are? What are you doing, ignoring me?" he muttered as he flooded the texting screen.

Finally, his phone rang, but it was Elena again. "Hey, have you heard from Tseng?"

"No, he's being a jerk. I've been texting him, but he won't answer."

"I've been trying to reach him too, and he's not answering me either. It's not like him."

Reno heard the urgency in her voice. "Elena, I'm sure everything's fine. Maybe his phone isn't working!"

"Why would his phone not be working when ours do?"

"I don't know. Just don't worry about it. He'll be fine. He can take care of himself. He's Tseng, after all."

"Well . . . OK." She sounded very uncertain.

When the time came from them all to meet, Reno swaggered very casually from his tunnel to the rendezvous spot, but only Elena and Rude were there. "Hey, where's Tseng?" Elena's eyes suddenly got very wide, and she ran as fast as she could down the west tunnel. "Elena? What are you doing?"

Then, she screamed. That's what he remembered the most, how it shook the walls of the cave, stung his eardrums, but most of all, hit that chord within him that sparked off his anxiety. He started running down the passage. "Elena! Elena!"

"Reno?"

Elena's current voice snapped him back to reality. He was back on the helicopter in the passenger seat, looking out the window. "Huh? What?" Weren't they in the cave just minutes ago?

"We picked up Cait Sith's signal on his PHS. We should be there any minute."

"OK."

Elena worked up a sad smile. "You're still thinking about Mt. Nibel, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I wish it would stop."

"I know. I keep thinking about it, too."

"But why? He's back now. He's OK. Everything's OK! It doesn't matter anymore! What do I keep thinking about it? I just want to forget!"

"Well, knowing you, I bet you still wondering what happened."

"Yeah, I do but . . ." He couldn't say it out loud, but there was more to it than that, a lot more.

"Ah. Here we go," Rude said calmly.

Elena and Reno both looked intently out the widows. "Wow!" Elena said. "That's something else."

But Reno looked past the Lifestream at the unfamiliar terrain. "Where are we?"

"Off the western coast of Wutai, it looks like."

"Didn't think there was anything off the coast of Wutai."

"Hey, I'm just reading what it says off the oscillator."

--

It was kinda nice, riding a chocobo again. The journey seemed to be faster that way. On the other hand, Cloud would have given anything for his motorcycle again, which would have made for a much smoother ride. So he didn't stay on too long. He let everybody have a turn who wanted one. He couldn't help but laugh at all the inexperienced riders bouncing around, trying to get used to the speed. Jessie was the worst, torn between gasps of fear and desperate pleading. So, he ended up riding it again.

Finally, they found it--a glowing river of green. "There it is, the Lifestream," Cloud said softly.

"Oooh!" several of the others said at once. Cloud had to admit, it looked pretty, but how can something so pretty be so sad? Looking closer, he strained to see beyond the luminescent surface, only to find the shades blurred together into a thick blend of mako energy. Does he not even have a reflection?

"Well, I guess we found the easy part," Yuffie said.

Cloud almost corrected her, thinking this is going to be anything but easy, yet the more he thought about it, the more he thought she had a point. Following the Lifestream was probably going to be the easiest part of the journey. "Yeah, I guess so. Well, we can't just stand here. We gotta keep moving!" He spurred the chocobo on, and just about everybody followed him as quickly as they could. Vincent, however, was lagging behind. He took slow steps and stared intensely at the Lifestream.

They didn't get too far, though, when—

"Whoa!" Cloud pulled his chocobo to a stop and hopped off. The bird quickly trotted away. Cloud drew his sword. Everybody else followed suit. "Turks!"

The suited Shinra agents Reno, Rude, Elena were all squatting near the bank of the Lifestream dangling some kind of machine over its surface. Reno stood, making sure he was first to make his point (as always). "Well, well, well, we all were wondering when you troublemakers were going to show up."

"Troublemakers, eh?" Cid sneered. "Look who's talking!"

"Hey!" Tifa yelled, while pointing at the device they were using. "You're taking the Mako power from the Lifestream!"

"We're just sampling it," Elena yelled back.

"Yeah, right, you two-faced liars!" Barret scowled. "I wondered how long it would be before you guys start getting your hands on Mako again!"

"Look," Reno said as he stepped forward. He said in a rather serious tone, "Believe it or not, we want you to stop us."

"I'll elect 'not!'" Cloud yelled back in spite.

"We mean it," Elena said. "We don't want to take the Mako, but we have orders from the president."

"Rufus Shinra?" Tifa asked.

"He was the one who said he was through with Mako!" Barret argued. "He made us tear down all the reactors!"

"No, no, no, we're talking about the old president," Reno answered. All the heroes looked at each other, wondering what he was talking about. Reno smirked and swaggered closer to them. "Now, don't look so surprised. A lot of people who we all thought bit the dust have been walking around lately. And we all know that's not news to you." He came up to Aerith and ran his finger under her chin, all in a rather crude "Reno" way. "Long time, no see, sweetheart."

Aerith recoiled in disgust, and Cloud held Maranatha to Reno's neck. "Touch her again, and I'll–"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Reno took a step back and held up his hands. "It's cool! Calm down, spiky. I like my girls with a pulse." Cloud would not back down and pushed the sword even more dangerously close to Reno's head. Reno just smirked again. "That a new sword? What's the matter, did that old one just get too heavy for you?" Cloud groaned and charged at him again.

Elena stepped forward and interrupted, "He threatened us if we didn't harvest from the Lifestream. It was a rather bizarre threat, but he sounded very serious."

"What was it?" Tifa asked carefully.

"He said he would drag us by the feet up the stairs of Shinra headquarters, and then throw us upside-down from the roof," Rude replied.

"70 floors," Reno mused. "That would make an impressive splat, wouldn't it? And we'd all get to see and hear the set of lungs Elena has on her." He gestured to the Lifestream. "Do you think even this freak of nature would be able to put that together?"

"So you see, we would much rather be defeated by you than fall into his hands," Elena explained. "Otherwise, we're going to have to carry out the order."

"Wait," Aerith said suddenly. "Where's Tseng? Did he appear?"

"Tseng?!" Yuffie said.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Reno smirked.

"Actually, I would," Aerith said. "I was wondering about him."

"Wait, you're saying he died?" Yuffie said.

"Turks never say die!" Reno said bravely. "'Die' is a four letter word."

"No it isn't!"

"Uh . . . OK, I can't spell, but that's beside the point! Look, are we gonna fight or not?"

"Alright then," Cloud replied. "Get ready. Tifa? Vincent? Vincent?"

Vincent was also squatting down at the Lifestream's bank and staring down into the green current. He didn't move.

"VINCENT!"

"I'm not fighting," Vincent answered coolly, which was rather in character (but refusing a fight was not). "Not now."

Cloud angrily shook his head. Vincent was one of the best fighters. Why did he have to go all dreamy and sappy now? "Isn't there time later for that?"

Vincent glared at Cloud fiercely, silently warning him not to argue.

"Fine," Cloud said, defeated. "Yuffie?"

"Mmm-hmm!" she nodded and ran to his side, shuriken ready at hand.

"Let's do this."

"Just to warn you, though, we said we wanted you to stop us," Reno said coldly, readying his own EMR. "We didn't say we were going to make it easy on you!"

"Bring it on!" Tifa taunted.

Cloud charged toward Reno and hit the Turk with all his might. Reno was nearly knocked over by the blow, but he only lost 20 HP. "Good grief, Cloud, that was more like a butter knife!"

"Then how 'bout a taste of this!" Yuffie shot towards him her shuriken and took about 70 HP.

"OW!" Reno screamed. Rude quickly tossed him a Potion. "Thanks man." He smirked at Cloud again. "Beat by a girl. How's that feel?"

"That my cue?" Elena asked.

Reno shrugged. "Close enough."

Elena balled her hands into fists and started to faintly glow. "Fira!" Flames shot from her hands and hit Tifa.

"You'll pay for that!" Tifa yelled as she ran forward and punched Elena in the face, causing Elena to groan and clutch her bleeding nose.

When Cloud's turn came up again, he decided he might as well try something other than a physical attack. Cloud grasped the green materia in the sword's hilt. He could feel its magic surge through his body. "Bolt!" Lightning surrounded his blade, and he shot it toward the machine. It was only then that he realized how pathetically small the spell was.

"Was that supposed to hurt?" Reno sneered. "More like a little buzz, wasn't it?"

Cloud sighed in frustration. "I forgot. It's new materia; it's gotta level up."

"You want lightning? I'll give you lightning!" Reno's EMR started sparking brightly. "Tazer Ray!"

The attack hit Cloud hard, like a million bees stung him at once. He dropped to his knees, feeling weak. He had only one hope left now. "Come on, Limit Break, Limit Break!"

Meanwhile, Yuffie ran up and attacked Rude physically. "Hey, hey, come back here, sticky fingers!" Reno yelled after her.

"Finders keepers!" she yelled back.

Rude checked his pocket and pulled out a cell phone, which starting ringing. He flipped it open, then closed it just as quickly, and with a grunt jerked his thumb back.

"Already? Awwwe, and this was just getting fun!" Reno pouted, suddenly out of his fierce fighting demeanor.

"What's the deal?" Tifa yelled.

"We gotta move on," Elena said. "Until next time." The three of them began to retreat.

"Hey, stay away from the Lifestream!" Cloud yelled.

"Nothing doin', kid!" Reno called back. "We're Turks, not turkey meat!"

As soon as the Turks were out of sight, Aerith quickly ran to Cloud's side. "Are you alright? Oh, you hurt! Don't worry, I'll take care of it." She quickly said a Cure spell. Cloud felt the healing power rush through his body, and he got to his feet. Yet his soul was not mended.

He picked up Maranatha and glared into the blade. Anger seared through him. "Why can't it do what it's SUPPOSED TO?! STUPID BLADE!!" And with an angry yell, he stuck it into the earth, but due to its relative bluntness, it hardly penetrated. Good grief, it can't even do that right!

"Cloud!" Aerith said in shock, wondering why he was so angry.

He ignored her and walked back to Vincent, who was still staring into the Lifestream. "And what is your problem?"

"Colorless green ideas sleep fiercely," Vincent whispered, in a trance-like state, slightly extending his hand to touch the steady stream.

"That garbage again?! What are you talking about?!"

"Exactly."

Cloud grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up. "Listen, you! I'm the leader! I'm in charge! And the next time I tell you to fight, you get your head out of the clouds and DRAW YOUR GUN!"

Vincent pulled himself away from Cloud's grasp. "Tough talk coming from a boy. I suggest you calm down. Anger can do terrible things to you."

"Just tell me why you weren't fighting. Was it because you used to be a Turk? You still have sympathies with them, don't you?"

"It has nothing to do with that. I'm telling you, this is personal!" His voice was calm, though it held an undercurrent of warning.

"Cloud," Aerith meekly spoke up, "let it go. Please."

Cloud looked at her for a moment, into her pleading green eyes, begging for him to drop it. He gave one last glare to Vincent, then turned around. "Let's get going!" He went back over to Marantha, took a deep breath, and sadly shook his head. But when he put his hand on the hilt, he could tell something was different. The hilt felt warm. The earth shook below his feet as he pulled the sword out of the earth. Maranatha was glowing! There was a strange hum coming from it. It felt . . . so different. "What is it doing? Why wasn't it doing it earlier?"

"Cloud . . . " Aerith came closer and put her hand on the sword, "this sword is powerful!"

"Well, how come it–?"

"It's been blessed by the planet. I think its strength . . . comes from the Lifestream itself."

That explanation just filled his mind with questions. Why would Shinra make a blade like this? How could they? And what does that even mean? What will it do? What could he do with a blade like this? But even as he was thinking, the glow started to fade. "Oh no. No, no, no, no!" He looked at Aerith. "How do I get it back?"

She shrugged. "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? I just found this sword's secret, and I lost it!"

"Maybe it's not the only secret. I know you don't like it, Cloud, but . . . I think you were meant to have this sword. It's . . . destiny."

Cloud scoffed. Destiny? His only destiny was to heed Sephiroth's call at the Reunion, and that fell through. "Well, I don't have long to figure it out." He turned and called to the team, "Come on!"

Everybody started following, but Vincent stared again at Aerith, a piercing stare. She just looked back at him sympathetically. She opened her mouth to speak to him, but no words came out. He walked past her slowly, not taking his eyes off her as he walked.

--

The helicopter went back north. Tseng was waiting for them, not at the North Crater but at Bone Village.

"So, you found something," Elena said.

"Yes, I have," Tseng replied.

"The materia you were looking for?" Rude asked.

"Not yet," Tseng answered, shaking his head. "Something more interesting. Come, I'll show you." He led them away.

"'Interesting' usually means 'boring' in Tseng's vocabulary," Reno said to himself doubtfully. As he followed, he even became more doubtful. He realized where Tseng was taking them–the Forgotten City. "Ummmm, ok . . . what are we doing here?" he asked as he saw the familiar shell-shaped building.

"Come, Reno," Tseng beckoned. "There's something you need to see, something you haven't seen before."

"You sure about that?"

"I just now found it. This will explain quite a bit to you, hopefully." He led the Turks down to a hidden chamber underneath the city. They found huge murals painted on the walls of warriors holding flaming swords approaching some figures etched in fading primitive green pigment coming out of a pool.

"What does it mean?" Elena asked.

Tseng looked at the mural thoughtfully while only regarding Elena out of the corner of his eye. "History is repeating itself."

--

"By the way," Biggs said walking up to Yuffie, "you were excellent fighting back there."

Yuffie chuckled nervously. "Thanks, Biggs," she said with a polite smile. She could tell from the look in his eyes that he was flirting with her, and normally she would use it to her advantage, but he really gave her the creeps (without really understanding why).

"So . . ."

Oh man, he still wants to talk. What could she use to get out of this situation? Oh yeah. "Hey!" She ran up to Cloud and Aerith. "What happened to Tseng?"

Cloud grinned. Time to give the little thief a taste of her medicine. "I could tell you . . . but it'll cost you a Power Up materia."

Yuffie just laughed. "Nice try, mister." She pulled a bottle out of her sack. "How 'bout an Elixir? I swiped it off of Rude."

"That's not materia."

"Um, an Elixir and 500 gil. It's the deal of the century, man!" She shook the bottle in front of his face. "Come on, you know you want it."

"Oh, just take it, dude!" Barret shouted. "It's news to me too!"

"Me three!" Cid said.

"Well . . . Shinra has been kinda hush-hush about it," Cloud said. He took the bottle from Yuffie. "OK, you know how about a year and a half ago, Rufus wanted everyone to know that Shinra was done with Mako for good. To prove it, he ordered a lot of major Mako reactors to be torn down. He actually asked me to help with the one in Nibelheim."

"Yeah, and I helped out with the one near Corel," Barret added.

"Well, there were some environmental teams investigating the terrain as we were finishing up, just to make sure that nature was balanced again. In the process, they found a lot of unexplored ruins in the caves of Mt. Nibel. The Turks were sent to investigate them. Now, I wasn't there, so I don't know all the details. All I know is at the end of the day, they found Tseng deep in the cave . . . dead."

"Whoa," Yuffie gasped. "What happened?"

"That's the thing. We don't know. I thought at first maybe the cave collapsed, but that didn't happen, since there was a lack of debris in the area. In fact, there weren't any major wounds on his body, and the autopsy was inconclusive. I've heard a number of theories–a heart attack, poisonous Mako fumes of the cave, even foul play, but none of those really fit well with Tseng. And you can bet, the rest of the Turks are having trouble accepting any of them." He turned to Aerith. "Has he said anything to you about it?"

"No," she answered, "but he doesn't really want to talk about it. Poor Tseng. He's always so . . . well, I don't know if there's a word for it. It's like he's proud of his life, and yet he also feels guilty." She sighed. "He's not the only one who feels that way," she muttered, somewhat cryptically.

"Hey! I know where we are!" Yuffie yelled as she ran ahead of all of them.

"And how much will it cost for you to tell us?" Cloud answered sardonically.

"Oh, forget that. You're gonna see anyway. Look!" She pointed in the direction where the Lifestream was flowing. The others joined her and saw that the Lifestream was actually going across the water to another island. They could just make out a brightly lit city standing proudly on a peninsula. "That's Wutai! That's my home!"

"Well, so it is!" Biggs chuckled.

"Yeah, that's nice, but how are we gonna get across?" Cid asked.

"Over here!" Tifa walked over to the shore. She found a little rowboat sitting in the water, tied to a tree. "I guess about four of us can fit in it at a time. It'll take three trips, but at least we'll get across."

"Make it two," Red XIII said. "I can swim across, and Cait Sith can ride on my back."

"And we'll just try to squeeze five in. OK, that should work. Sound good, Cloud?"

Cloud wasn't really listening. He was looking at the boat, thinking it was too much of a coincidence that it was just waiting there for them. Who left it there? He looked closer at the boat and found his answer–a black feather. "That was not by chance for sure. The sword thief strikes again," he thought, lips twisting into an ironic grin. But why would he be so helpful this time? Come to think of it, that chocobo seemed more docile than usual. Could it have been domesticated? Who would send it, after taking time, energy, patience, and expertise to domesticate it? Who else could it have been, other than the elusive thief who seemed to be both with them and against them?

"Cloud?"

Cloud dropped the feather. It could be a trap, but it was the only chance they had, and it was a risk he was willing to take, for the sake of the whole team's mission. "Yeah, that's fine. Let's go."


	4. A Proposal, An Appraisal

Chapter 4: A Proposal, an Appraisal, and an Accusation

Elena stared at the mural and hieroglyphs with intrigue. "This looks so familiar, like what we saw at the Temple of the Ancients."

"Of course," Tseng answered. "These murals were also created by the Cetra."

Elena ran down one end of the mural to the other. "That's odd. I don't see anything about Jenova."

"As far as I can tell, this mural predates Jenova, perhaps even by a thousand years. Had we more time to investigate the Temple of the Ancients, we may have seen another mural like this."

Reno yawned loudly to demonstrate how bored he was. "Yeah, yeah, but why should we care?"

"Reno, don't you see what's going on?" Elena said pointing at the mural. "Those green guys there, coming out of the water, they're from the Lifestream!"

"How do you know?"

"Well, it couldn't be more obvious! They're coming out of this body of water, and they're green, the color of the Lifestream . . . or I guess decaying flesh. They're dead guys either way."

"So?"

"So, maybe this'll give us some kind of clue of what's going on or how to stop it, right Tseng?" She turned to him with an anxious look in her eyes.

"No such luck so far," he answered. "There's very little this mural actually tells. The Cetra went to such great lengths to conceal this period. They won't even go so far as to mention their opponents' name. For instance," he pointed to a passage beneath the green warriors, "this says, 'And they, the evil ones, the unloved, unholy ones, they who rip the planet's children from her womb—'"

"Ewwwwwwwe!" Reno interjected. "That's an image I could do without!"

Tseng gave him an annoyed look for interrupting and continued, "'—they will abuse the power of the planet no longer. Behold, we swear on the name of the planet that we will protect her voice and her children, that she may continue to live age upon age.'"

Elena stared at Tseng, flabbergasted. "Tseng! Where did you learn to read this language?"

"I used to study folklore," he answered casually, a little too casually, but they couldn't say anything.

"Who are they?" Rude asked, pointing to the others with swords.

"That's the Cetra, defending their land."

"Those swords they're holding look like Cloud's new sword."

"Heh," Reno chuckled. "If they used those swords, no wonder this happened a thousand years before Jenova. It probably took a thousand years to fight!"

Tseng turned to him and observed Reno closely. "And what do you mean by that?"

"Oh, right, you weren't there. You should have seen it, Tseng! Cloud's got this new sword, and its stats are laughable! I mean, it could barely cut a loaf of bread!"

"Believe it or not, Reno, there may be more power behind this kind of swords than you would think." He pointed to some hieroglyphs beneath the Cetra army. "This says, 'Thy Holy Sword shall restore the land and bring peace to the restless with the blessing of the planet.'" He emphasized that last phrase very carefully.

"'The blessing of the planet?'" Elena repeated. "What does that mean?"

"The Cetra had the gift of hearing the voice of the planet in the Lifestream, remember? And what gifts does the Lifestream give us?"

Reno counted on his fingers as he listed them off, "Uh, power . . . materia . . ."

"Life," Elena added.

"I was gonna say that!"

"I'm just helping you brainstorm!" she shrugged.

"Very good, both of you," Tseng nodded. "Now, the question is which gift is necessary for this sword?"

Reno rolled his eyes up to the ceiling. "Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," he sighed impatiently. Rude just crossed his arms and looked down at the floor. Elena was the only one who really looked like she was making an effort to answer his question, putting her hand on her chin.

"Exactly. We don't know, but whatever it is is the key to everything. That's why we must find it."

"And turn it over to Cloud?" Rude added.

"Perhaps, if he truly has this sword in his possession."

"Well, how likely could that be?" Reno blurted out. "I mean, if this happened before Jenova, that sword would be thousands of years old, wouldn't it? Cloud's sword didn't really look ancient."

"Maybe he just keeps it in good condition," Elena suggested.

Rude cleared his throat. "Need I remind you that we have another mission?"

"We can multitask," Tseng answered. "We've done it before. However, needless to say, this must be kept top secret. Don't let anyone know what we're up to—not Cloud, nor Reeve, nor either of the presidents. In fact, it would probably be best if you do not speak of it to each other."

"Our lips are sealed, man," Reno said while miming zipping up his lips. "You can leave Cloud and the others to us, and we'll help you look once we have a better idea what we're looking for."

"Um, maybe one of us should stick with Tseng, help him find more clues," Elena hastily added. "We'll rotate so the president won't get too suspicious."

Tseng nodded. "That's an adequate compromise. Don't you agree, Rude?"

Rude only grunted and turned away.

--

It wasn't too far a walk to get to Wutai once everyone had crossed the sea, but once they reached the city, Cloud was hesitant to go inside. "I think I'll stay out here and fight a little longer. Anyone who wants to join the 'Let's Raise Enough Gil to Get Cloud a More Decent Sword' initiative is free to stay out here."

Everybody kinda mumbled at that. "Um, you know, you could always try and win that money," Yuffie suggestion.

"Win?" Cloud said uncertainly.

"Sure, you just–oh wait, you haven't seen! Come on, I'll show ya." She led them into the center of town, skipping in front of everyone (not quite as shiftily as she was the last time they were all here). The Turtle Paradise was a much larger building. In fact, it was the biggest building in the whole town, even taller than the pagoda. It still had the oriental architecture of the other houses in Wutai, but it was seven stories. "It's a casino now," Yuffie explained.

"A casino?" Tifa repeated.

"Bet you don't like that," Aerith said softly.

"Well, yeah . . . but you know, our economy's been real bad lately. And this'll help Cloud's problem. So, how 'bout it, Cloud? You feel lucky?"

"Not really," Cloud answered shaking his head.

"Well, I'm good at games of chance," Cait Sith said. "I'll raise you some dough, lad."

"Me too," Tifa nodded.

Cloud wasn't surprised at that. They both had luck-based Limit Breaks after all. "Well, thanks. You guys have fun."

"Ah, what the hay? Me too," Cid said with a shrug.

"I just need to unwind for a little while. They still serve refreshments here, don't they?" Barret asked.

"Oh yeah, still advertised everywhere," Yuffie nodded.

"Great!"

Everybody who agreed started going in. "You sure you don't wanna?" Yuffie asked.

"Yeah," Cloud nodded. "Even as pitiful as this sword is, I think I'd have better luck out there than I would in here. I have a better idea what I'm doing in the field anyway."

"Alright, suit yourself."

Cloud turned to her suddenly. "Hey! I think I know what's going on with you, why you've been charging ridiculous prices for materia and information. You're trying to work off a gambling debt, aren't you?"

Yuffie made a buzzer noise. "Wrong! Pretty close, though."

"Then what's up?"

"Oh, I'm never gonna tell." She laughed, amused.

"I'll help you out, Cloud," Red XIII offered.

"Yeah, I think I could use you," Cloud nodded. "Aerith, you coming?"

"Sure," she nodded. "I'll make sure you don't get too hurt."

"Hey, where'd Vincent go?" Red XIII asked.

"Ah, he's probably staring at the Lifestream again, talking to himself about green . . . thoughts or whatever it is," Cloud muttered carelessly.

"Hey, uh, Yuffie," Biggs spoke up, "would you mind showing us around the rest of the town?"

"Yeah," Jessie nodded. "Everything looks so interesting, especially that!" She pointed up to a rock face which had carved into it the image of oriental deities.

"Oh, that's the Da-chao," Yuffie answered. "It's kinda fun to climb, but you gotta be careful around the caves. Unless you're lucky enough to find a Leviathan scale, the fires inside can burn you to a crisp!"

"In that case, I'll just admire it from afar."

"So, where do you live, Yuffie?" Biggs asked.

Yuffie froze up for a moment. Should she be telling him that? "Well, uh, Lord Godo's house is over there."

"Oooh, that's a nice house," Wedge marveled.

"Wonder if he's at home?" Biggs pondered.

So, Yuffie led the three newcomers through the town, but she didn't feel right. "Something's weird," she thought out loud. "This place feels more crowded than usual. Is the casino just getting more business?" Yet as she took a closer look around, it got weirder. "What are all these Shinra soldiers doing here?" There were several, just standing around or talking to each other. She tried talking to them, but they didn't say much. "It feels too much like it did ten years ago. Maybe it's a re-enactment."

Biggs followed the tour until they came to Lord Godo's house. Then, he slipped away and searched Yuffie's house. Godo caught him snooping around. "Excuse me! Are you looking for something?" the lord addressed him.

Biggs stood up straight. "Oh, uh, yes sir. Actually, um, the fact is, I was looking for you."

"Well, here I am. What can I do for you?"

Biggs suddenly felt very hot and nervous. He thought through the speech he had practiced mentally ever since he learned they were going to Wutai. "Uh, Mr., er that is Lord Godo, my name is Biggs from Midgar. I, uh, I wanted to talk to you about your daughter."

"Yuffie?"

"Yes sir. I have taken, well, that is, I have become . . . I admire her-her skills, as a, you know, a fighter. She is, uh, she's a very impressive young lady."

"Why, thank you."

Biggs took a deep breath and tried to speak more calmly. "Lord Godo, the fact of the matter is I heard she is a thief, and I know that it is true."

"Well, I cannot be held responsible for her actions! If you've come here to accuse my little girl—"

"No, no, sir. I was just saying that because . . . it may sound trite, but I believe she has stolen my heart."

"Oh, so that's it."

"I know you have already selected one to be her husband, but I beg you, please reconsider. All I ask is a chance. I am a very strong, skilled man. I don't have much, but I can take care of her. I'm an honest man and a devoted leader. Tifa and Barret, whom I'm sure you know, can vouch for my character."

"I am sure that is all true, young man, but . . . what was that first thing you said about one already selected?"

"Yes sir. Yuffie told me that she's been engaged for an arranged marriage."

"I'm afraid to disappoint you, but I'm sure if I said nothing you'd learn the hard way. My daughter is also an excellent liar."

"Sir?"

"Yuffie is not engaged. We have an arranged marriage custom, but I have chosen not to follow it. The truth is Yuffie has told me on a number of occasions that she does not want to marry!"

"What?"

"It is so. I believe her, too. Yuffie is a very strong-minded, independent girl. She does not want to listen to anyone else tell her what to do, especially one who may try to 'set her straight.'"

"Then . . . then why has she toyed with me so?"

"Has she taken anything else from you, besides your heart?"

"No sir!"

"If I were you, I'd double-check. She may have taken gil or materia from you while she was flirting. So, you do that, and I will have a talk with her. I am very sorry, young man."

Biggs left the room, feeling rather stunned. And cheated, but he wouldn't admit that again. He felt like a fool.

--

Cloud was discovering that there was a little bit more than a re-enactment going on around Wutai. Just on the other side of the city, there was a full-scale battle going on. Almost as soon as he exited the city, a Shinra sentry confronted him with a gun. "Friend or foe!" he demanded.

"Neutral. I'm just a stranger here."

"I am sorry, sir. We're not permitting civilians beyond this point. It's a matter of safety." He tipped his hat at Aerith. "Afternoon, miss."

"Civilian? I'm an ex-SOL–" Cloud stopped himself. "I just want to get through and level up."

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that. If you haven't noticed, there is a war going on."

"The war ended ten years ago!"

"Ah, yes," he said dropping his voice. "There has been a rumor going around that the war is over. I'm afraid until we get news from the president that states the contrary, our SOLDIERS will have to soldier on, so to speak. So," he glanced down at Red XIII, "you'll have to take your kitty-cat out for a walk elsewhere. Good day." He made a ninety-degree turn and walked on.

"Lifestream?" Cloud asked Aerith.

"I think so," she nodded.

"They're like Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie. They don't know."

"That's what it looks like."

"Kitty-cat indeed," Red XIII growled, lashing his burning tail. "He deserves a good mauling."

Cloud sighed. "Well, this is going to be fun to get through. If only I could send a message to Rufus. He's probably under the control of his father again."

Aerith suddenly grabbed Cloud's arm. "Vincent! He's out there!"

"Vincent will be fine. He used to be a Turk, remember?"

"So did Tseng!"

"Well, Tseng . . . isn't Vincent." Cloud pointed. "Look, there he is!"

A tattered red cloak flew through the middle of the fray like a red storm cloud, bullets flying from it like lightning. The soldiers on both sides tried to retaliate, but Vincent was too evasive for them. In almost a matter of seconds, he appeared at the entrance of the city standing with Cloud and Aerith.

"So, now you're fighting!" Cloud said with annoyance.

"I had no choice," Vincent replied. "I couldn't concentrate."

"Then, you weren't able to sort out your green–"

"No, I have not. But I will." He added that last phrase in a very chilling, intimidating whisper, hoping Cloud could take the hint.

To show he wasn't intimidated, Cloud persisted, "Well, you better figure it out soon. We don't have time for your daydreaming."

"It will reveal itself in time. You must learn to be patient."

"I can be patient, but THAT can't!" He pointed toward the Lifestream.

Vincent didn't answer but tossed Cloud a small bag. "For your new weapon," he explained. Then, he swished his cape and turned away.

"Please, Cloud, you said you'd drop this," Aerith said softly.

"I know. I'm trying. I'm just . . ." He didn't want to say it.

"Worried?"

"Yeah."

"Don't be. It'll be alright."

"I hope so."

--

That evening, the two groups met up at Lord Godo's house. Yuffie and Cloud especially wanted to know what was going on.

"It's been a crazy couple of days," Godo explained. "Just for no reason, Wutai and Shinra soldiers showed up out of nowhere and started fighting. They seem to believe that we're still at war. All of us at the pagoda have been trying to hold them back and convince them that the war has been over for ten years. Most of them believe us and have been waiting around town for further orders, but some won't believe until they hear it from a higher source. At least they moved the fighting way out of town, near the mountains that are almost impossible to cross. But it has dampened our tourism. I mean, sure, we have a record number of visitors, but they don't seem to have much money."

"This may sound strange, sir, but these people, they probably died in the war," Cloud explained.

"Say what?"

"The Lifestream has been flowing backwards, and a lot of people who were dead are coming back to life. Some of them don't even realize they ever were dead. That might be the case here."

"So they're killing themselves all over again?"

"I know. It doesn't make sense to me either. We'll try to find some way to stop it."

"Hey, you know the President!" Yuffie said. "Why don't you just get on the phone with him?"

"He's more of a 'Don't call us, we'll call you' kind of guy. Still, there might be a way to get a message to him."

"Cait Sith!" Aerith suddenly spoke up.

"Huh?"

"He's a Shinra spy, isn't he? He can send a message."

"You know, it's so easy to forget that, isn't it? Yeah, I'll talk to him."

Once everybody else came back from the casino, Cloud left to talk with the double agent, and Lord Godo called his daughter back. "I spoke with a young man in your company this afternoon, guy named Biggs. He seems quite smitten with you."

Yuffie crossed her arms. "I thought so."

"So, you do know him?"

"We met a little while ago. I don't know him all that well."

"He seemed to indicate that you've been flirting with him. You doing it to sneak some gil or materia off of him?"

"No. He's mistaken, Dad. I'm not flirting with him. I can't! I mean, normally I would, but he really gives me the creeps."

"You might want to try. He looks like he's a fine man, and he's probably very well connected."

"Dad, he has nothing! He's been dead for five years! And besides, for all I know, he's a scoundrel. Sometimes I . . . I just wish he'd go back to the Lifestream, where he belongs!"

"Yuffie, are you sure you'd mean that?"

"Yeah! He wouldn't bother me down there." With that, she ran off to her room, not knowing that Biggs was standing in the doorway, missing him completely as she ran past. He heard every word.

--

"So, they're in Wutai now? . . . Yes, I heard about it from the Turks . . . Is that so?" Tseng laughed. "Good, very good. That is excellent. And you provided a way for them to cross? . . . Good . . . No, he won't sell it. If all goes well, he can't. . . . Well, I'm not surprised by that. Valentine was a Turk . . . Yes, he was. In fact, we have a good deal in common. Perhaps I should speak to him . . . Well, that can pose a problem. We need to do something about that . . . Yes, I'll help. Of course . . . Unfortunately, it is not going well. They are not trying to understand." Tseng sighed, shook his head, and whispered, "I can't imagine what she's going through . . . Alright, we'll talk later." He hung up.

"That wasn't Reeve," a grave, deep voice said behind him.

Tseng didn't turn around. "I'm not surprised that you're here. Eavesdropping is rude."

"In case you don't recall, Shinra has given me clearance to tap phone conversations when it concerns a matter of security." Rude took slow, steady steps around Tseng until they were facing each other. "You may charm Elena, deceive Reno, you can even con both of the Shinra presidents." Rude pulled his shades down to the bridge of his nose and leaned forward as he said ominously, "But you will never fool me."

"Are you accusing me?"

"Oh yes. I got your number. Or, more literally," Rude held up his own cell phone, which had seven digits on the screen, "I got your accomplice's number. Let's find out who it is, shall we?" He slowly began to point to the "send" button.

"It won't work," Tseng replied calmly. "You won't find it in Shinra's database, and any attempt to call it will result in an error tone. You can call it a dead line. It hasn't been in use for a decade."

"Then how can you use it?"

"I have a dead line of my own."

Rude raised an eyebrow, silently asking the next question.

"Don't ask," Tseng replied sharply.

Rude put the phone away. "All the same," he said as he got closer into Tseng's face, "I know what's going on. You are a mole, a double agent, and a traitor. You faked your own death, abandoned us, and then you return and expect everything to be normal! Well, now I know that your loyalties are divided. You have a hidden agenda, and to cover it up, you send the rest of us Turks on pointless side-missions. I don't know what you or your accomplice are up to, but I will find out. And if you jeopardize our mission any further, I will expose you for what you are."

Tseng smirked. "Rude, you never did strike me as a conspiracy theorist."

"You see, that's one reason I know you're not the Tseng I knew. Tseng doesn't have a sense of humor."

"I've been keeping different company, Rude. Perhaps I've changed . . . a little. But you, do you have any proof?"

"Not definite proof, but it shouldn't be difficult to find."

"No. I think I know what you're basing it on. You say you have my number, but in reality, I have yours, Rude."

"And what is your theory?"

"You're still in denial. You couldn't believe the great Tseng was dead. Nobody saw him die, so it's easy to think he faked his own death and is still out there somewhere. You've been holding on to a story like that for a while now, haven't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Tseng chuckled. Rude tries so hard to be this big, tough guy, but inside he's as weak as a moogle, apart from being the size of a moogle too (he'd put on some weight). "I have a method to my madness, Rude. You need to trust me, just like everyone else. And yes, I have a hidden agenda, but it's not against Shinra. All I am trying to do is to find the resources to keep you and everyone else alive."

"I don't just trust people. Trust needs to be earned. So does my respect." Rude turned on his heel and left.

"I can have one without the other!" Tseng called after him. Rude didn't turn back. Never mind him, there's a job to do.

--

The next morning, Cloud got up bright and early to go to the weapon store. He felt like he had a vivid dream, but it was slowly fading from his memory, pushed out by his concerns of getting a new sword and escaping Wutai. Cid, Cait Sith, and Tifa didn't earn too much from their winnings (Tifa complained that their games were really hard), but it might be enough to get something better.

"Welcome!" the proprietor greeted him as he walked in.

"I'd like to see what you've got in stock that's between 6000 and 9000 gil, please."

"Well, let's see." The proprietor reached under the counter and pulled out a blade. "This one is 7000. Its stats are relatively good. Four materia slots, one set connected. It's simply named the Destroyer."

Cloud didn't even spend much time looking it over. "I'll take it!" He handed the store owner the money, but the moment he picked up the new sword, it just didn't feel right. He didn't understand. Destroyer is much more like the swords he was used to, so why couldn't he get used to it? Had he already forgotten what it felt like to hold that much power?

"Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Cloud thought for a moment. "Actually, yes." He put the new sword down and drew Maranatha. "Just out of curiosity, what would you say this sword is worth?"

"Hmmm," the proprietor answered. "I've never seen a sword quite like this before. What a strange metal this blade is made of!"

"What is it?"

"I can't tell exactly. It's very luminescent, but it's also rather blunt and flimsy. As far as performance is concerned, I'd say this sword is almost worthless, but as far as style and the preciousness of the material, the worth could perhaps not even be contained by gil. This is a rare treasure!"

"Yes, it's nice, but I gotta have something I could use."

The proprietor investigated the sword with a little magnifying eyepiece. "I do believe that this metal has some magic properties!"

"What are they?"

"Not sure. I expect it's probably support magic. Maybe it will be more useful if I melt this down and turned it into an accessory. Then surely you can access those properties."

That sounded like a great idea, and Cloud was all for it, but once Maranatha was back in his hand, he felt this strange sensation. His heart was resisting his mind, refusing him to let anything happen to the sword. "No, I-I-I can't."

"Are you sure?"

"I . . . can't. I'm sorry."

"If you don't, you really only have a fancy mantle piece."

"I know, but . . ."

At that moment, Yuffie burst into the door. "Cloud! There . . . you are!" she panted. She looked a lot paler than usual, and she had a look of terror on her face. Aerith was with her, and she had a face of similar concern.

"What's wrong?"

"It's . . . Biggs. He's . . . gone to the . . . Da-chou."

"Um, alright. He's touring?"

"No! He . . . went . . . to see . . . the fire caves! He . . . doesn't have . . . a . . . Leviathan Scale!"

"He has death on his mind," Aerith explained softly.

Cloud didn't even stop to think. He grabbed his sword hastily and ran out of the store. They went up the paths on the statutes of the Five Gods, calling Biggs's name over and over. At last, Cloud went into a cave that had the flaming embers at the far end. Biggs was slowly walking toward the coals.

"BIGGS!" Cloud yelled. "What are you thinking?"

Biggs turned around and saw them. "Just following orders, sir. I heard Yuffie say that she wanted me to go back to the Lifestream where I came from. That's what I'm doing."

"I DIDN'T MEAN IT!" Yuffie yelled back at him. "You weren't even supposed to hear that!"

"What's the point in living anymore? You stole my heart, and you won't give it back. I don't wanna live without a heart!"

"Biggs, please don't do it!" Aerith yelled. "We still need you!"

"To do what? I don't really have a function. I just feel out of place and isolated. I might as well just end it. No one will miss me."

"You do have a part! Everyone has a part! As long as you're not in the Lifestream, Sephiroth will be weakened."

"I don't even know who Sephiroth is! It's just pointless." He looked at the spiky-haired warrior, who was currently gaping at him. "Cloud, it's been an honor to serve you. You are a remarkable leader. I expect great things from you one day." He saluted Cloud with a smile, and then, he took a few steps backwards and spread his arms. "Goodbye Yuffie."

"You're making a fool of yourself, Biggs!" Cloud yelled at him.

Biggs didn't seem to be listening but let himself fall back.

Without thinking, Cloud drew his sword. "GET BACK HERE!"

Nobody what believed what happened next. Biggs suddenly turned into a green mist that floated toward Cloud's direction. Then, in the blink of an eye, it materialized back into a man, falling backward. Cloud quickly moved out of the way so he wouldn't get impaled on the sword. Yuffie ran forward and caught him.

"Whoa!" Biggs said. "What was that?"

And that's when Cloud realized that he wasn't holding the sword he just purchased. He was holding Maranatha. Did the sword do this? The proprietor must have been right. It had magic.

"Listen, Biggs, I was wrong about you," Yuffie said gently. "I thought you were just a creep, but I guess you must really be a cool guy. You must really care if you felt that way about me."

"Thank you, Yuffie, thank you. I'm sorry I scared you."

"Yeah, don't do that again! Let's go home."

"Yeah, let's go," Cloud said softly, still staring at the sword. What secrets did it have? How could he find them all? How could he unleash its real power? If he knew what it was…

As he was coming down the Da-chou, still thinking about all these things, the weapon store proprietor came running up to him, holding a bulky package. "There you are!" he gasped.

"Yeah, I know, I left that sword in your shop. I was coming back to get it."

"Oh, yes. Listen, are you Cloud Strife?"

"Yes, I am."

"Oh!" He held the package out to Cloud. "I was told to give this to you."

"Who gave it to you?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," the store owner replied softly.

"Huh?"

"Uh, that is, I'm afraid I'm sworn to secrecy! I can't say!"

"Um . . . OK. How much is–?"

"JUST TAKE IT!" he yelled, surprising Cloud slightly. But as he moved to calm him down, the man merely pushed the package into his hands and ran down the path frantically. Cloud opened the package to find ropes, ten pairs of some strange boots, and a typed note:

"The Lifestream forks ahead. Go east."

He turned the card over, but he found no names, no explanations, and no additional instructions. He searched through the package thoroughly, but there was nothing more. "Well, no feathers," he thought. "That doesn't mean it's not from the thief, but still."

_"Cloud! Maranatha!"_

He couldn't believe it. It was that voice again, the sing-songy voice. "Where are you?"

_"Maranatha!"_

"Come on, Cloud!" That was Aerith at the base of the mountain, waving at him.

"Oh. Coming!" he called down to her.


	5. Tension

Chapter 5: Tension

The four of them made it back to Lord Godo's house, and they mutually decided that they wouldn't mention the attempted suicide, or the strange events that followed. After everyone was up, Cloud called a meeting to discuss their next plan of action.

"Well, good news and bad news," Cait Sith told him. "The good news is I was able to get your message over to Rufus, and he said he'd take care of it immediately."

"And the bad news?" Cloud said.

"The Shinra army won't recognize Rufus's authority."

"Because he wasn't president when the Wutai war was going on, right?"

"Bingo."

"Did he . . . ask his father?"

"Yeah. Believe it or not, the old guy's in favor of the war."

"What about Scarlet or Heidegger?"

"They transferred out five years ago. A lot of Shinra's staff just up and ran off when things got tough." He added with a whisper, "Cowards."

"Guess that means we're just gonna have to push through No Man's Land. We got these." He pulled out a pair of the boots. "I'm not sure what they're for, but it must have something to do with helping us cross the mountains. There's enough for ten of us."

"Well, let's see," Tifa said. She counted on her fingers, "There's you, me, Aerith, Barret, Yuffie, Cid, Vincent, Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie. That's ten right there! It's perfect!"

"What about Red XIII and Cait Sith?"

"I don't think I need them, and Cait Sith can ride on my back like always," Red XIII answered.

"Wait a minute," Cait Sith interrupted. "Let me take a better look at those." Cloud handed him one boot. "Uh-oh," the puppet said.

"What is it?" Cloud asked.

"These are prototypes for new Shinra technology developed especially for SOLDIERS. They're called Wastrel Boots. Supposedly, they're designed to help you leap hundreds of feet in the air. I thought I heard some of them were missing from inventory. If we're caught with them, I could kiss my job with Shinra goodbye."

"Well, we're just going to have to move fast."

"Wastrel Boots, eh?" Red XIII said softly.

"Named after you, laddie," Cait Sith answered while nudging his mane.

"I also found this." Cloud pulled out the card and read it aloud. "I don't know who it's from, but I have a pretty good guess. Just can't help but wonder, why east?"

"Well, where else can we go?" Tifa pointed out. "Wutai's the westernmost country, right? We have to go east, right?"

"Not necessarily. We wound up west of Wutai, remember? There maybe all kinds of uncharted places out there. Still," Cloud pulled out a world map, "we could go southeast toward Cosmo Canyon, or far northeast to the Northern Crater again. Personally, I think we should go the other way, just to spite him."

"But, if it's who you're thinking about, he's been helping us, hasn't he?" Aerith asked meekly.

"I'm not so sure about that."

Cid suddenly slammed his hand hard on the map. "This is the way we're going!"

"Why do you say that?"

"Because this is the direction to Rocket Town! I'd kinda like to go home!"

"Look, we'd all like to go home, but then we wouldn't be on a quest, would we?"

"I don't mean to stay, you idiot! I might be able to send a few people to fix the Shera and . . . stuff like that."

It's not often that Cid trails off like that. What could be on his mind? "Well, fixing the Shera could be useful. Alright, we'll stop over there, restock on supplies and spend the night. Let's meet at the gate in half an hour. Make sure your HP is at its maximum, and put on those boots!"

"I don't think they're gonna fit me, man!" Barret argued as he tried to put one on his massive foot.

"It's OK, they're adjustable," Cait Sith explained. Sure enough, as Barret tried to jam his toes into the boot's tiny mouth, it suddenly stretched out and accommodated the size of his foot as he slipped it on with ease.

"Oh, nice!"

"Hey, Aerith?" Yuffie said softly, pulling her over as everyone went their separate ways, "Remember what you said to Biggs, that everybody has a part?"

"Mmm-hmm," Aerith nodded.

"Did you really mean that, or were you just saying that to make him feel better?"

"Of course I meant it! I don't say anything I don't mean."

"So . . . is there a part for me? 'Cause, to be honest, I was a little reluctant to go along with this. I been thinkin' Cloud's just . . . gonna steal the show again."

"Yuffie, there's a part for you. There's a big part for you. You don't even realize it. Your youthfulness and enthusiasm are inspiring everybody! Cid and Barret especially feel a little more motivated just watching you. It's giving them the courage to go on."

"Really? So you mean, if I weren't around, they wouldn't even be on this trip?"

"It would be a lot harder for them, that's for sure."

"Do you think we'll really fight this time?"

"Well, Cloud's been really working on getting your strength back. I just wish he could find his own strength again."

"I'm sure you'll help him with that again," Yuffie said putting her arm around Aerith for a second.

Aerith just smiled, but when Yuffie let go of her, she suddenly felt something in her hand. "Huh?" She opened her hand and found two orbs of materia–Barrier and All.

"Psst!" Yuffie whispered. Aerith turned to her as the ninja girl whispered loudly, "Don't tell Cloud!"

"OK," Aerith nodded.

Meanwhile, Biggs drank a Hi-Potion in lieu of breakfast, put on his Wastrel Boots, and started heading for the door, when Godo called him back. "Hey, young man! Come back here a minute."

Biggs turned back hesitantly. "What is it Mr., uh, Lord Godo?"

"Something I wanna tell you about Yuffie. All her life, Yuffie's been interested in materia. That's always been her target. But after she turned 21, she's been a lot more focused on obtaining gil. I've seen her charge outrageous amounts for materia or insider information. It's surprising, since she's a thief that she wants to get those figures the usual way."

"Yeah, I've seen that."

"She won't tell me exactly why, but I think I've got it figured out. We lost a lot of money in the war. Even though I'm a lord, I've been more or less penniless. I think what's she doing is trying to save up a dowry."

"A dowry?"

"Yes, you know the bride price. What we'll pay to her future husband."

"Why do you want to tell me that? Does that mean she's already got someone chosen?"

"I'm saying it to encourage you. I don't think she has completely given up on getting married. And of course, any way you can aid the cause will be appreciated."

"Wow. Thank you, Lord Godo." Biggs left with an enthusiastic grin all over his face, while the lord smiled and chuckled mischievously to himself.

--

Elena and Reno had moved on to do the president's work. Doubtless they've heard by now the news of the missing Wastrel Boots, but Tseng decided he'd deal with that when the time comes. He and Rude were at the Mithril Mine outside of Junon. Tseng still believed that the blessing of the planet, whatever it is, was most likely somewhere in the Promised Land, but he decided that searching in many places couldn't hurt. It might even be in the hidden caves behind the remains of the old Mako reactors, but he was only going to check there as a last resort.

He was standing outside waiting on an update. He was anxious doing this out in the open, but the mithril was interfering with his signal. He was feeling very impatient to hear if they were able to cross the mountains; it was already well past their agreed time to talk. What was taking him? Being alone didn't make his anxiety any better, but being alone allowed him to deal with his secret thoughts.

Suddenly, he was no longer alone.

Tseng heard the landing before he saw it. He felt the slight thump and the slow, even, somewhat heavy footsteps that followed it. As he turned, he almost predicted the bulky frame and the calm yet fierce face. He approached the visitor in greeting.

"Angeal."

"Tseng," the winged ex-SOLDIER replied in turn.

"I had wondered if you would return. You are looking well."

"Thank you, as are you," Angeal replied with a bow.

"I thank you," Tseng answered, returning his bow. "So, the Lifestream has restored you. Was that your wish?"

"It was."

Tseng came in close to take a look. The outstretched wing folded itself behind his shoulder blade as the Turk advanced. He mused to himself that Angeal's face was always a mask of unfathomable emotions, though his were already counted as more human than other SOLDIERs of his time. "Yet, there is something about your person that is missing." Tseng pointed behind his visitor. "I thought you gave that to–"

"No. He wanted his own."

"I see. I'm not surprised." He walked behind him to make sure. "Unarmed?"

Angeal sighed. "The sword which has been in my family for generations, my pride, has been disgraced. I found it outside Midgar, just out in the open, rusted and filthy." He said these words with disgust. "It looked like a . . . "

"Tombstone?"

"Yes, that is one way to put it."

"Fitting, then, because that is what it's become. Another warrior placed it in memoriam of another friend, but I'm sure you know that."

"All the same . . . I took it to be cleaned, polished, and sharpened, if for nothing else to honor the one for whom the monument was created."

Tseng nodded. "I'm sure he'll like that."

"You never really came to terms with your death, did you?" The question masked itself in a statement more than anything, but Tseng could hear the accusation in it, and he stepped away, looking at the SOLDIER levelly, warily.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you never really explained to them, did you?" Angeal's eyes were probing, and almost sympathetic.

"Who do you mean?"

"Tseng, you're not stupid. You know who I mean. All of them."

Tseng's anxiety spiked even more, but he had to appear calm. "I need to be strong for them," he said stoically. He added a laugh. "I've never realized before. They are all so much like children. Of course, I knew that about Reno. He inherently refuses to mature. But even Rude, even . . . Elena. They're all so . . . weak, and naive, and . . . insecure. They want to believe me to still be their invincible leader. If I don't live up to that, they will lose the last shred of respect for me. I fear I might already be losing it." He hoped this response would be good enough so they wouldn't even have to discuss it. Of course, he must have forgotten Angeal, or not known him as well as he thought.

"Don't you want to be honest and plain? That's who you were before. This person who hides behind secret agendas and masks is not you, and you know it. What happened to you? Are you so scared that you can't even own up to yourself?"

Tseng felt this rush of anger. How dare he come and accuse him? Rude was bad enough. Tseng felt an urge to do something, _anything, _to keep Angeal from saying anything more. Rude was probably somewhere in the mouth of the cave listening to every word, but Rude was the least of his worries. Tseng had only one choice.

"I can't. I will in time, but not yet. Surely you know why."

"Let's say that I don't," Angeal answered, crossing his arms.

"You could say . . ." Tseng motioned him to come closer and whispered, "Big Sister is listening." He pointed upward and hoped he would catch the allusion.

"Sister?" Angeal answered sarcastically. "I don't think you have a sister."

"You know who I mean! I cannot speak her name. I cannot even think it. It's why I use a pseudonym for her."

"Just like Sephiroth."

That accusation was too much! Tseng reached up to strike his guest, but then he took a deep breath and told himself to calm down. "Angeal, if she knows we know, things are bound to get more difficult. We planned this so carefully that she may not find out until the opportune moment. If she knows before then, she will use her arts to impede our progress and kill the planet faster."

"Why the sudden concern for the welfare of the planet? You worked for Shinra. It used to be that was your only concern."

"You know I've changed. You know I realize how much of a fool I am."

Angeal leaned against the rock face, surveying the almost impossibly scared head Turk, even feeling the fear in Tseng's eyes. "A fool? There's a word I thought I'd never hear you say."

"It's true. You know it's true. I am . . . impure." He promised himself that he would not say that word, but he could think of no other. It was just the ugly truth. He found himself staring at his open hands, and the stench of blood stung his nostrils. He turned away. "There's nothing I can do about that now."

Angeal strode up to his side, putting one hand over his shoulder. He whispered into Tseng's ear, "We were all impure, but we were washed, we were justified, we were forgiven. What is it your friend keeps saying?"

Tseng smiled sadly. His friend? More like the greatest friend he never knew. He said with a sigh, "Shilly-shally, dilly dally."

"It will be difficult to explain to them, but you can't live in the past. You must own up to the fact that you're fallible. If you can't forgive yourself, then there's no point in wishing they would. And if you can't do that, then you aren't the man I was once a friend to, and I will lose all respect in you as well."

The pressure was suddenly lifted from his shoulder. Tseng knew Angeal was about to leave, so he wanted to make sure he showed him that two can play at this game. He turned toward his guest. "You know, I was just thinking, Angeal." The one-winged angel turned back with an expression of intrigue. "They say, 'All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players who, in their time, play many parts.' We have the rare chance at an encore." Once more, he chuckled. "I've seen so many things in these years, but I've never seen a more interesting supporting cast as this–a Guardian, an Angel, a Thief, a Spy, a Crook, a Prophet, a Witch, a Patron," (he added hurriedly with a mild sense of humor), "a Butcher, a Baker, a Candlestick Maker," (and then he concluded again in a more serious voice), "and of course, Death himself."

"A veritable carnival of idiots," Angeal answered with a nod.

Tseng came nearer to him and observed Angeal closely to make sure he didn't catch him in a lie. "So what is your role in this play?"

"It's difficult to tell. For now, I am the Watchman."

"Admirable, indeed. And for whom or what are you watching?"

"That's my business."

So, that's the way he's going to play, is it? Tseng might as well be as plain as he can. "You know they're out there."

Angeal broke away from Tseng's probing gaze and looked off into the distance. "I know."

"You know where they are?"

"I do."

Tseng gave him a hard stare full of determination. "I give you my word as a Turk, I will see them stopped, as well as those who stand with them."

"Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Do you have your phone on you?"

Angeal shook his head. "Lost it."

"Pity. I would have liked to keep in contact with you."

"Don't worry. You will hear from me again . . . in time." Angeal made a small leap, and wing beats filled the air. A single feather fell from the sky, white and pure, and Tseng caught it. Angeal's last words filled the silence long after he had left.

"It wasn't your fault alone, Tseng."

"Liar," Tseng whispered. He knew good and well it was his fault, and nothing could convince him otherwise. She told him so.

"That wasn't him, Rude," he said in a louder voice. "Get back to work!" Sure enough, he heard a grunt and saw shadows move on the cave walls. Well, the damage had been done.

--

The whole team lined up in front of the western gate, looking like they were about to race each other. They were all very nervous as they watched the distant battle.

"Everybody ready?" Cloud asked.

Aerith raised her rod. "Barrier!" All of them were surrounded by a faint sphere. Cloud looked at her in confusion, but she just smiled and shrugged.

Cloud drew his sword and pointed it ahead. "Let's go!"

Immediately, all of them ran ahead as fast as they could. The boots sped them up a little bit by adding a little spring to their steps. When they got into the heat of the battle, Cloud only quickly attacked when any soldier tried to attack him. The barrier helped most of the attacks bounce off. He just hoped there weren't any land mines.

As soon as he got to the foot of the mountain, Cloud started climbing. He didn't look back, so he couldn't tell that there was a problem until Tifa told him on the climb, out of breath, "I think they're chasing us!"

So Cloud climbed even faster. He vaguely remembered that at the summit of these mountains were some swinging bridges. When he got up there, he saw one, but it was dangling on the other side. "Time to try these things out," he thought aloud. He made a running start and leapt. It was amazing, just hanging in the air, and he managed to make it to the other side. He wanted to watch and see if everyone else would make it OK, but he knew he couldn't stop. He kept running, climbing, and leaping. He marked the place below where the Lifestream started going in more than one direction and followed the tributary flowing east. He was running out of energy, but he tried hard not to slow down until he got to the bottom of the final mountain. Then he fell to his knees and tried to catch his breath as he waited until everybody caught up. "You guys ok?"

"I think so," Tifa gasped.

"What about you?" Jessie asked as she came closer to him. "You look pale."

"Guess I pushed myself too hard. At least we're all in one piec–"

_"Cloud!"_

That voice again! Cloud stood up. "Does anybody hear that?"

"Hear what?" Barret asked.

_"Maranatha!"_

"You really don't . . ." Cloud looked at all the lost faces. A terrifying thought occurred to him, and he went paler. His head started to throb. He grabbed the sides of his head and ran off to be alone. He sat down and just tried to clear his head.

"What's the matter, Cloud?" Aerith asked approaching him.

"I'm . . . hearing things. I keep hearing something calling to me and crying. Nobody else can hear it."

"Cloud, it's OK. You don't have to be afraid."

"You don't understand, Aerith. Five years ago, I heard a voice no one else could hear. It was in my head, and I let it take over me. It was Sephiroth's voice. I didn't know it then. I didn't know, until it was too late."

"Cloud . . . ?"

"I've been getting headaches, too. I haven't gotten headaches this bad since five years ago. Maybe it's better if you don't meet me, Aerith. There are things about me that you don't know, things that could hurt you."

"But Cloud, it's alright. This voice you're hearing, it's not Sephiroth."

"How do you know?"

"Because I can hear it too."

"Do you know where it's coming from?"

"Yes. It's the voice of the planet."

"What?! Are you . . . are you sure?"

Aerith nodded. "I've known this voice since I was a little girl. The planet is hurting without the Lifestream."

"But . . . how . . . I thought only the Cetra can hear the voice of the planet!"

"Maybe it's easier to hear with the Lifestream on the surface like this."

"Then how come nobody else can hear it?"

"I don't know. Unless . . . it could be my fault."

"Your fault?"

"I've been a little more . . . open with you than I'm supposed to be. You needed to hear my voice. I became the voice of the planet and let you hear me. Perhaps, now, your mind is open to hear the planet's voice."

Cloud heard it again. _"Maranatha!"_ Aerith turned her head, like she heard it too.

"How does the planet know me?"

"You saved it before. It hasn't forgotten."

"How does it know the name of my sword?"

"I don't think it's the sword it's calling for. What did you tell me 'Maranatha' means?"

Recalling the meaning of the word helped Cloud to understand. "Savior, come quickly," he whispered.

"The planet is calling for the savior."

"And who's the savior?"

"The friend of the planet, the one who will heal its wounds and set it right. It's us, all of us."

Cloud nodded. He closed his eyes and stood still. Aerith left him.

"Don't be sad. I'm coming as fast as I can. Stop crying," he said softly to the planet as he pulled out his sword and looked at his reflection in the blade. "I'll be there soon."

_"Cloud, maranatha!"_

"I'M COMING!"

"THEN COME ON ALREADY!" That was Cid's voice.

"Oh, sorry." He quickly joined the rest of the group, who were all standing on the coast looking toward the next part of the continent.

"The water's shallow over here," Tifa noted. "We might be able to wade across."

"It's narrow enough, we could probably jump again," Barret added.

"You can do that if you want," Cid said. "I'm not sure if I'm EVER gonna jump again." He walked toward the water and groaned, "Oh, my knees!"

But Cloud had recovered enough stamina to try it. He took a running start and leapt. He took in just the wonder of the hangtime, feeling the wind against his face. He landed on the other side without get the slightest bit wet.

Then, he heard applause. "Bravo! Nice job, Cloud." He turned around and saw Reno clapping with that immature smirk across his face. Elena was standing next to him, her arms crossed. Reno came closer. "Hey, nice shoes! Where'd you get 'em?" He asked that question very suspiciously.

"I don't feel like telling you," Cloud answered flatly.

"Too bad. We're gonna make you talk," Elena said.

"Hey, where's Rude?" Cloud asked.

"That's Turk business, not yours."

"Cloud, what's going on?" Tifa asked as the rest of the group caught up to him.

"Oh, so all of you have a pair," Reno noted. "How convenient. Here I was thinking we'd have to search the continent. Anyway," he cleared his throat, "those boots are officially Shinra property, and someone stole them. Sticky fingers, I'm looking in your direction," he said turning to Yuffie.

"Hey!" Biggs retaliated, pointing his finger at Reno, "you stop calling her that! She's a lady, and she deserves to be treated with respect!"

"OK, one–she's not a lady. For crying out loud, she's a thief! And two–Turks don't hand out respect that easily."

"'Sides, I didn't do it, so there!" Yuffie yelled at him, and stuck out her tongue.

"See what I mean?"

"Look," Cloud said, "they may have been stolen, but we didn't take them. A stranger gave them to us. This is our only clue." He handed Elena the card.

"What, this is the best you got? Any of you could've made this!" she answered.

"Hey, do you think we're lugging around a computer or something to type with?"

"Hmm, he's got a point there," she said quietly to Reno.

"Besides, we don't want your stupid boots anymore. We're done with them." He started taking his off.

"I bet they're already muddy and smelly," Reno said.

"Well, what do you wanna do? You wanna take 'em back? You still owe us a fight, you know."

"We owe you?! Excuse me, you owe us!"

"You got it." Cloud drew his sword.

Reno scoffed. "Oh come on, you're not fighting us with that thing again!"

Cloud noticed he had Maranatha in his hands. Rats! He meant to draw the other sword. Well, now that he finally knew some of its real power, he can figure out to unleash it. "Oh, you think this sword is weak? You ain't seen nothing yet! Check this out!" He stabbed the sword into the earth, as far as it would go. Then, he rubbed his hands, grabbed the hilt, and pulled the sword back out of the earth. All that happened was he got a big dirt clod in his face.

Reno applauded again, but this time it was a slow, sarcastic, sympathy clap. "Excellent. That got a 5.0 on my Worst Sword Tricks I Have Ever Seen In My Life scale."

Cloud was so frustrated with himself. "How do I make it work?" he thought aloud. Then he remembered the voice of the planet, and he looked around and asked a lot louder, "What do I do to make it work?"

"And now he's talking to himself. Elena, this is just sad."

"Well, of course it's not going to work!" she called out to him. "It's because you don't have the–!" The rest of her words were muffled by Reno's hand.

"I don't have the what?" Cloud called back to her.

She pried Reno's hand off her lips. "What are you doing?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"That's supposed to be top secret, remember?" he answered in an urgent whisper. Just then, he felt something buzz in his pocket. "Huh?" Reno pulled out his cell phone, flipped it open, and briefly scanned over the text message. He tried to hide his surprise as he closed the screen and grinned at Cloud. "We'll give you and your invisible friend some time to figure it out. Come on, Elena."

"Hey!" Cloud called over to him. "What do you know about all this?"

"What's the deal?" Elena asked as she ran alongside Reno to the helicopter

Reno discreetly replied, "It's Rude. He has something to tell us about Tseng."


	6. Cid's Secret

Chapter 6: Cid's Secret

As they were getting closer to Rocket Town, Cid started taking smaller steps. He started to blend in with the rest of the group. Cloud finally turned back with his hands on his hips. "Come on, Cid, what's the deal? You're the one who wanted to take this little detour in the first place!"

"Well . . . yeah, but . . . I'm just tryin' ta . . . you see . . ." He took a breath, "Look, kid, haven't you become sorta a celebrity lately?"

"Well . . . uh-huh."

"Then you probably know the drill." He took another breath and got in front of the group. "Brace yourself. Here comes the stampede."

Almost as soon as he put one foot over the city limits, Cid was surrounded by children of all ages talking excitedly at once. "Professor! Hey Professor! Where've you been? Professor Highwind, over here! When's Miss Shera coming back?" Cid just grumbled and pushed his way through the thronging kids.

"Professor?" Tifa laughed.

Cloud looked throughout the streets. He saw almost as many children as there were in Midgar, and all of them were in some kind of imaginary play that involved flight. Some kids were chasing each other wearing astronaut helmets. Others were outside their houses pretending to be blasting away in their rocket ships. Most of them, though, just seemed intent to talk to Cid, but he just kept pressing through.

As soon as everyone got into his house, Cid slammed the door. He glared over at Tifa, who hid her laughing lips behind her hand. "Yeah, what are you laughing at?" he snapped.

"I'm sorry," she answered, still giggling. "You just don't strike me much as the academic type."

Cid shook his head and looked away. "I'm not a professor, not really. I tried to be, but it just wasn't workin' out."

"What happened, man?" Barret asked.

"Well, five years ago, after our adventure, everybody kept asking me about everything, but they most wanted to know what it was like in space. So I got this brilliant idea–instead of telling them, why don't I try to teach them how to be astronauts? And I started this school of aerodynamics and space travel. I actually thought it would be fun, making new planes, writing up star charts, teaching about how to fly, all that good stuff. But nobody wanted to hear about that. I only got a few people the first year, and they helped me retool the Highwind and make it the Shera. We should've gone on and made Tiny Bronco, Jr. The next couple of years, there just weren't any takers. And even if people did come, they just wanted their stupid questions answered, like, 'Is there life on other planets?'" Cid scoffed. "Like I would know. So, a couple of years ago, I gave up, turned the school into a museum. For some reason, the professor label stuck. It's become popular with the kids, as you can probably tell. I just can't believe that everybody wants to hear about being an astronaut, but nobody wants to be one!"

"I want to be one," came a weak and unsuspected reply.

Cid cocked his head over to the speaker. "Excuse me?"

"I've always wanted to fly and be an astronaut," Wedge repeated. "I was just waiting on the space program to improve. I became a computer programmer in the meantime. I don't know how long I can stick around, but if you're still willing to teach, I'll learn. To be honest, that's the whole reason I keep wanting to call you Pilot. That's the title I'm proud of."

Cid just gave him a small nod and a rare smile. "I think you'd make a good one, kid. Tell you what, my two best students are still in town. I was going to round them up to fix the Shera anyway. How 'bout I introduce ya?"

"Oh, would you, Pi–uh, Cap–?"

"Ah, Pilot's good enough anyway. Come on. We'll go out the back way." He led Wedge over to where the rocket used to stand, now housing a grand building. Behind that big building was a small house. Cid pounded on its door. "Leon! Rikku! Front and center!" Cid said in an authoritative voice.

In a minute or two, the door quickly opened. A tall man with short black hair and a young woman with auburn hair ran out. They both saluted and said in unison, "Sir, yes sir!"

"At ease. We have a new cadet. This here's Wedge. I want you to teach him everything you know about flight before the day's out, and then report to me for further instructions."

"Sir, yes sir!" they repeated.

"And oh yeah," Cid said as he backed off. "Don't get too twitter-pated while doing it." He whispered to Wedge, "Newlyweds."

--

"So, what is this you wanted to tell us?" Reno asked impatiently.

"Well, it's no secret that Tseng's been up to something, and I found out more about it," Rude answered.

"Up to something? What are you talking about?" Elena asked.

"Elena, don't play dumb! It's not your style. Reno and I have been suspecting him since day one. He's clearly working with an accomplice, maybe eve more than one for that matter."

"So?"

"Well, don't you think he's been acting odd?" Reno asked. "Making us search for stuff he won't clearly describe? He's hiding something. He never hides anything from us!"

"He's got a reason!" Elena replied with obvious, die-hard loyalty.

"We're all ears. What is it?"

"I don't know, but I trust him. I know he's got a reason."

"I've discovered some of that reason," Rude added as he pulled out a tape player. "I recorded this earlier today. Tseng was having a conversation with someone. I never got a good look at him, but I looked up his name. He's listed in the Shinra archive as deceased, a former member of the Jenova project."

"Well, that says a lot," Reno said. "I mean, that sounds like Sephiroth, doesn't it?"

"Sephiroth evidently wasn't the only product of that project. We don't have many details because we were just starting as Turks at that time, but Tseng had already been working with Shinra for a number of years. He had a partner named Cissnei, which apparently was a pseudonym."

"I kinda remember Cissnei. Wonder what happened to her?"

"Anyway, this will probably explain a great deal about what Tseng's been up to."

Rude pressed play, and Reno and Elena crowded in to listen. It was the conversation Rude was able to catch between Tseng and Angeal. The tape didn't catch all of it because Tseng and Angeal were whispering so quietly during some points. Reno really got offended when Tseng called the Turks "weak." "Why, how dare you–?"

"Shh!" Rude and Elena both hissed together. Elena was hit when he described them as "insecure." She had to admit, he nailed it. She often felt like a little girl, especially after they lost Tseng. She always felt safest when he was there, and after he was gone . . .

"So . . . what does it mean?" Reno said as soon as Rude switched the tape off.

"For one thing, it means that the incident behind Tseng's death is behind everything."

"Uh, is it?" Reno asked uncomfortably.

"Exactly. That's why he's been keeping it secret from us. And he and this Angeal are clearly in a conspiracy together. Tseng claims this isn't his accomplice, and I actually believe him on this count. Something doesn't match up about Angeal. But these people they were mentioning, the Crook, the Thief, the Spy, it all sounds like a code. If we endeavor to decipher it, perhaps we'll understand who Tseng is really working for."

"Look, I don't care what you guys say!" Elena answered angrily, face flushing with rage. "I'm gonna trust Tseng no matter what, conspiracy or not! I'm gonna stand by him, and I don't care whose side he's on!"

"Will you even betray the Turks?" Reno said in shock, eyebrows sky-high.

"If that's what he's doing . . . I just might."

Reno could not believe that forthright statement, but he wanted to make equally clear of his alliance. If for anything, he wanted to resolve once and for all what he suspected the whole time. "Well, I'm in, Rude," he said, shaking Rude's hand.

"Very good. For now, we'll play his game to see where it leads us, but then . . . we'll play by our own rules."

"Sounds fun to me, brother!"

None of them knew that Tseng was standing just outside listening. He wasn't only listening to what they were saying. He could feel all of their doubt and betrayal. Even Elena was uncertain in the depths of her heart. "So," he thought, "they're against me now. Is this what you wanted Angeal?" What could he do? He only had one other ally, one person he was sure he could trust. He got out his cell phone and pushed the speed dial. "Things have gotten more complicated. I know what I promised, but . . . there's something I need for you to do."

--

"I FLEW! I REALLY FLEW!"

At the end of the day, as everyone was gathered at Cid's house, Wedge was talking excitedly about his lesson. He was standing on top of a chair, making all kind gestures to further illustrate his story. "Oh man, it was amazing. I mean, it was tough at first, but Leon and Rikku showed me everything I need to do and just–whoosh! And up we went! Oh, I could see the tops of mountains, I could see the ocean, I flew above the clouds! Ohhhhhh, it was GREAT! I got to get a plane! I gotta do that again! I just wish they taught me more about landing. Rikku and Leon took over then."

Biggs and Jessie were sitting at his feet, wide-eyed and listening with rapture. Vincent, once more, was standing alone leaning against a wall, arms crossed, still pondering his riddle. Red XIII lay on the floor, his head on his paws. Cait Sith was limp on the wastrel's back. Yuffie sat on the floor, "Indian-style," with her chin in her hands. Barret sat in a big, comfortable chair, looking like he was about to fall asleep. Aerith sat at a table, her hands folded in her lap, smiling encouragingly at Wedge. Tifa stood apart from everyone, just staring at the whole group and feeling very much at home, as though they were all a family. Cloud was also standing alone in the back of the room, and he was looking across the hall to the other room, where there was a mirror. He had a reflection, but it barely felt like his own. (For just one second, he thought he saw the reflection wink at him, but it might have been a trick of the light.) And Cid–

"You! Spiky! Over here, now!" Cid ordered as he came in through the side door. He glanced over at Tifa and added more meekly, "You too."

Cloud didn't like being ordered around, but he decided not to call Cid out about it. He was a captain after all. He and Tifa followed Cid to his bedroom. "So what's–?"

"Shut the door!" Cid yelled.

"Oh," Cloud said as he closed the door tightly.

Cid poured a clear liquid from a canteen into a glass and drank it down fast. He slammed the glass on the bedside table and took a few deep breaths. "Shera and me are talkin' 'bout havin' a kid."

Tifa winced for a moment. "Aren't you a little old?"

He glowered at her, clearly offended. "Aren't you a little nosy?" he sneered. Immediately after, he had an expression of regret. "That was out of line. I'm sorry."

"Cid?" Cloud said in disbelief. "I don't think I've heard you apologize about . . . anything."

"I know. It's not in my nature. But things are different. I haven't thought about this kind of thing before. When I was a young man, I spent all my time on the rocket, building it and fixing it up. Then, the launch failed, and I got all cynical. Just recently, though, things have been getting better. I've been closer to Shera, and I feel . . . dare I say it? I feel . . ."

"Happy?" Tifa spoke up.

"Yeah, good. And I can't explain it. I don't know where it's comin' from. Best I can figure, it all started that day . . . in the church."

"When Denzel was healed of Geostigma?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah, exactly. You know, somethin' just . . . woke up in me. I felt . . . young again. I felt good."

"And that's why you want a child?" Tifa said.

"That's why I've been thinkin' 'bout it. But . . . I don't think I can do it. I mean, look at me! I'm just a bitter, old coot! What kind of father would I be?"

Cloud felt very awkward about this. How could he talk about fatherhood? He knew next to nothing about being a father. He couldn't remember his own, and he considered himself more of a friend or role model to the orphans. No way he could be their father. "What are you asking us for?" he finally asked, trying to cover his ponderings with an appropriate question.

"Well, you've been spending all that time with those orphans. I thought you might be able to tell me some about what it's like to raise a kid."

"Wouldn't it be better if you talked to Barret?"

"Don't you think I tried? I was spilling out my guts to Barret at that casino in Wutai, but he wouldn't hear me out. The guy's been all kinds of moody lately."

Cloud chuckled. "You're calling him moody? Look, all of us are kinda moody–me, Vincent, Yuffie, but you're more moody than all of us put together!"

"Yeah, yeah. Well . . . you haven't really talked to him."

"You know what, Cid?" Tifa spoke up.

"I know a lot of things," he answered.

"Yeah, well . . . I think you'll make a great father. I know you're kinda grouchy, but you got a good heart. You're . . . passionate, and it really shows."

"You think?" Cid's eyes seemed to brighten.

"Yeah, I think. And you remember that time you took over when Cloud was out for the count? 'Course, I wasn't there, but I heard you really got the job done."

"I did, didn't I?"

"Yeah, so that shows you're a good leader. And you do a wonderful job as a Captain on the airship. You're good with discipline. And just look at how Wedge and all the kids around this place look up to you." She looked over at Cloud. "Got anything to add?"

"Well, I agree with everything. Look, I know how you feel. I didn't think I'd be good with kids either. But since Geostigma . . . they all look up to me now. It does feel good. It's nice to hear them call my name when I ride through the streets." He grinned slightly at the thought.

"Yeah. I get tired of it, but it does feel cool. They draw all kinds of crazy pictures for me, and they ask such silly questions." Cid laughed. "I just wish they . . ."

"They can't all be Wedge, you know?" Tifa answered. "They're just kids! Give them some time. Maybe they'll be ready for your school when they're a little older."

"I think they will," Cloud nodded. "You need to look around. Everybody's crazy about space."

"You're probably right." Cid took another swig of his drink and looked out the window. "You know . . . I think if it's a boy . . . I'm gonna name him Wedge. I kinda like that kid, reminds me of me when I was his age."

"You're not going to name him after yourself?" Cloud asked.

Cid waved the idea off. "Nah. You'd be surprised how common a name Cid is."

"What if it's a girl?" Tifa asked.

"That's a tough call. I guess I'll let Shera decide."

Tifa let herself out, but Cloud stuck around for a moment. "So, you got someone to fix the Shera?"

"I sent Leon and Rikku out there after they were done letting Wedge touch the sky." He sighed. "Lucky kids. They're expecting, too."

Cloud had enough of this conversation. "I'm gonna get a room at the inn. We'll leave in the morning."

"Aye-aye," Cid halfheartedly. "Hey Cloud, thanks."

"Sure." He shrugged. Thanks for what? He didn't say anything.

--

Reno was on a computer with a word processing program on. He had every name listed on the screen, after rewinding Rude's tape about a million times. "Let's see . . . well, let's start with the obvious–Thief." He typed in, "S-T-I-C-KY-F-I-N-G-E-R-S." "And Spy, that's gotta be–" He typed in "R-E-E-V-E." "All these others are tricky, though."

"You sure this is what it is?" Rude asked.

"Well, it fits. Thirteen titles, thirteen people in Cloud's gang."

"But these titles don't fit. You really think anybody in that group is a Prophet?"

"Hey, that's why it's a code, right? Hmmm, Death Himself. Maybe that's the pale guy. He looks like Death, anyway."

Elena watched them forlornly, backed away, and shut the helicopter door. She wondered out into the dark until she saw Tseng, pacing impatiently near Fort Condor. He stopped and turned toward her. "Elena?"

"Tseng, what are you doing out here?" she asked gently.

"Waiting."

"For what? Oh, it doesn't matter!" She suddenly ran up to Tseng, hugged his waist, and began to cry.

"Elena, are you OK?"

She nodded. "I know as a Turk, I'm supposed to keep these emotions inside but . . . I'm just so glad that you're back!"

"I know," Tseng answered as he touched her hair. "I'm glad to be back, if only for a little while."

"The day I found you in that cave . . . it was the worst day of my life."

"Worse than when the Kadaj brothers tortured us?"

"Mmm-hmm," she nodded as she sobbed. "I knew we'd get through that. I kept telling myself to the last minute that you'd . . . that everything would be OK. I remember when you survived after you . . . after you were wounded . . . at the Temple of the Ancients. I thought if you survived that . . . you could survive anything."

"Elena, it's alright. Don't cry." He lifted her face and wiped away one of her tears with his thumb. They just looked at each other for a tense moment.

Elena cleared her throat and released him. "Well, uh, goodnight."

"Goodnight," Tseng replied with a curt nod. "Elena?" he called as she turned away. She looked back at him, and he scrutinized her with a kind expression. "Everything will turn out the way it's supposed to. Trust me."

"Always, Tseng. Always," she replied with a sympathetic nod, though she didn't know how to convince the other two Turks to do the same.

--

It was dark again. At first, he couldn't see a thing, but then he heard breathing. Heavy breathing. Then, there was just a very faint light (he wasn't sure of its source, but might have simply been the moon), just bright enough so he could barely see the silhouettes of the scene. There was a figure lying down on something rectangular, and standing at his head was a woman, tall with waist-length hair. He couldn't see her clearly enough to recognize her.

"Patience . . . nephew . . . patience," the woman whispered as her long fingers gently stroked his hair. "What you desire shall be yours in due time." She leaned forward for a second as though she was listening to a whisper, and she chuckled inwardly. "No, you need not worry about them. They are far away, and they know not a thing, the fools."

Suddenly, another man descended from a tree, but he didn't climb. He flew! It looked like part of the tree earlier, but he had one wing on his back. He was also tall with shoulder-length hair, and he carried what looked like a staff. With quick strides, he approached the woman and bowed.

"You come alone," she said, not looking at him.

"Forgive me," he said softly.

"There is no forgiveness here. You know that. You should have left the summoning to me."

"The summoning was successful. I entreated him to come, but he refused. He said he sought a more excellent gift."

"Imbecile," she whispered. "He shall regret it."

"Yes, he shall. What blessing can be more excellent than yours?" The man beside them suddenly twisted and gasped in pain. The speaker put his hand on the other man's head. "Why does it hurt him so?"

"It must. If he wishes to obtain the gift, he must learn . . . to suffer . . ."

"Yes, a lesson he has not truly learned." The speaking man took the woman's hand. "You will still . . . keep your promise?"

"Of course. He cannot bear this gift alone. Is that not why I summoned you as well?"

"Indeed . . . I have found you at last."

Suddenly, there was a rapid flapping noise all around them. Another man came down from the sky. His back was turned, so he looked like a large shadow. But he clearly had one white wing and one black wing on his back.

"Ah! Company," the man said.

The two-winged stranger drew a large sword and struck at him.

"THAT'S MY SWORD!" Cloud screamed this as he jumped awake. A nightmare. He put his head in hands. What a headache! He didn't dare go back to sleep, not when these ideas were fresh in his mind. He took a walk outside the inn, thinking about them. The guy with the wings, he must have been the sword thief! But what about the other man, the one lying down, the one in pain. Could that be who Cloud thought it was? The woman, who he didn't know at all, talked about a gift. What gift could that be? And the man who was talking, the one-winged man, something was very familiar about his voice, but Cloud for the life of him couldn't remember who he was.

"Cloud?"

Cloud turned around and saw Aerith standing there. "Oh! I was just . . ."

"Can't sleep again?" Her eyes seemed understanding and probing at the same time.

"No, I slept, I just . . ."

"Bad dream?"

Cloud nodded. "Mmm."

Aerith nodded, came closer to his side, and looked up at the moon. "Me too."

"Really?"

"So, tell me about it."

"Tell you?"

"Maybe I'll help you figure out what it means."

"I think . . . I think I saw Sephiroth."

"Did you?"

Cloud nodded. "I'm not sure. I couldn't see him clearly, but it sounded like he was asleep. It sounded like . . . he was in pain. Doesn't seem possible, does it?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"And there was a woman there talking to Sephiroth. She acted like she could hear what he was saying, even though he never said anything."

"Like she was reading his thoughts?"

"Could be. Maybe I just didn't hear. She called him 'nephew.' You know, I think I had another dream about her! I couldn't see her, but I heard her voice. Who do you think she might be?"

"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about her."

"And there a man who had one wing. It looked like he was helping Sephiroth, too. It was kinda crazy, you know. What did you dream about?"

Aerith held her arms and looked off uncomfortably. "I had a dream . . . about Genesis."

"Genesis? That name sounds familiar."

"He was a part of the Jenova project. He and Sephiroth grew up together. I . . . I know him from the Lifestream. He's a very odd . . . frightening character. To think he's behind all this too, it's . . . troubling." She shook her head.

"More troubling than Sephiroth?"

"Oh yes. Sephiroth's easier to pin down. He's evil, simple as that. But Genesis is more . . . romantic-minded. He can be dangerous, but he's more volatile than anything else."

"In my dream, they kept talking about a gift."

"The gift of the goddess!" Aerith suddenly interjected.

"What?"

"Genesis always quotes the play 'Loveless.' He still loves the quotes about 'the gift of the goddess.'"

"What is 'the gift of the goddess?'"

"Immortality! Perfection! Deity. Glory."

"And the goddess? What's her name?"

"The play's incomplete. No one can find the ending. There's so much we still don't know."

So much information. That woman, Cloud thought she was just a witch. Could she really be a goddess? "And they were talking about somebody else, somebody who refused this gift who was seeking a more excellent gift. Is there a better gift than the gift of the goddess?"

"Well, of course there is! The play is called 'Loveless,' isn't it? In fact, there are lots."

"Like what?"

"Justice, mercy, kindness, grace, peace, joy, hope . . . love!"

"Those things are better than–?"

"Yes, they are! Try living without them. Believe me, there are many souls that would rather hold onto these simple things than to gain the whole world."

"And I guess Sephiroth isn't one of them." He sighed, though he didn't understand why he would feel sympathy for his enemy.

Aerith shook her head sadly. "No, he isn't, but you might be surprised at some who are."

"There was someone else in my dream. I couldn't see him very clearly either, but he had my sword. He used it to attack them."

Aerith looked at Cloud in amazement. "But . . . he was in my dream too!"

"Did, did you get a closer look at him? Could you see who it was?"

"No, I, I, I couldn't tell. But he had one white wing–"

"And one black wing!"

"Yes! He fought Genesis! And Genesis . . . didn't seem all that surprised. In fact, Genesis looked like he was expecting him."

"The guy in my dream looked like that too." Cloud shook his head. "This is insane! It's just a dream, right? It can't be true!"

"I don't know. It can be."

"No! Not possible . . . is it? How can it be?" Cloud was near hysterical at this point.

"The planet speaks in more ways than one. I think it's trying to show you something."

"Why? What do you think it means?"

"I think . . . it trusts you enough . . . to show you its secrets."

"Wish it would trust me enough to show me Maranatha's secrets," Cloud thought. Yet he said aloud, "But what do I do about it?"

Aerith looked at him thoughtfully. "You listen and then make yourself ready. Because the time is coming soon . . . when you must answer." Then she smiled, patted his arm, and walked toward the inn. Cloud continued to stand out in the moonlight, his forehead in his hand, trying frantically to make sense of it all. She didn't have the heart to tell him, but she had a different dream. The woman gave Genesis an order—find Cloud and bring him back at all costs. "Protect him," she prayed quietly as she went back inside.


	7. Harbinger

Chapter 7: Harbinger

Reno opened his sleepy eyes and reluctantly pushed himself off the hard helicopter cot. He stretched and gave a big, loud yawn. He shook out his bed-head (which really only made his hair worse) and looked out the window. Still dark out. Well, it's a lot earlier than he wanted to get up, but maybe now he could get some more wor–

"WHOA!"

As he stepped out of the bed, Reno fell, hard. It was the first time he realized that he was moving. "What the–?" He got up and went to the cockpit. "Tseng?!" he shrieked as he saw the Turk at the controls. "Where are we going?"

"Corel," Tseng replied calmly (as always).

"What's going on? What time is it, 4:00? 5:00?"

"5:36. Sunrise will be in fourteen minutes. Quit your bellyaching."

"You don't even sound tired."

"I was up all night waiting on a call, and just a few minutes ago, I received an SOS. What do you think?" He sounded just a tiny bit cranky this time.

"And you're flying this thing?!"

"I didn't have a choice. It's an emergency."

Emergency? Did that word even exist in Tseng's vocabulary? "Why didn't you even wake us up?"

"No time."

"What's the deal?"

"You'll see when we get there," Tseng replied in a tone that implied that Reno should stop asking questions. That tone really bewildered Reno. Tseng never is this irritable or this impulsive. He's always so levelheaded. What is going on? He was too foggy-brained and grumpy to figure it out.

There was a scream behind Reno. He turned around and saw that Rude fell out of his cot (which was a lot less fortunate for him because he had a top bunk). Rude got up and rubbed his bald head. "What the–?"

"This time, he's gone too far," Reno said quietly to Rude as he passed him.

--

Cloud couldn't go back to sleep, no matter how tired he felt. His mind just kept turning over the dream along with Aerith's conversation. It was just so much! He felt like his head was going to explode. Everything felt vague, too. It made him all the more anxious to continue because he knew that was the only way to answer those questions.

So at the first rays of daylight, he made his way to the gate to the city, looking for the Lifestream. He expected that it would go toward Nibelheim, but it actually went around Rocket Town across a coastline toward Mt. Corel. There was a new bridge over the water, so at least they didn't have to worry about crossing. As soon as everybody else got up and ready, they headed out.

The landscape was definitely different. Cloud remembered rickety rails that he had to balance on to cross, but they were gone. Of course, it was because the Mako plant was gone. Now, they were following dirt paths toward the mountain.

Yuffie started to hug her arms. "Sure is cold out here."

"It's a mountain in early morning. What do ya expect?" Cid answered.

"So, where's the oil field?" Cloud asked Barret.

"Oh, it's, uh, on the other side of town. I thought I showed it to you once!" Barret answered, annoyed.

"I guess . . . maybe you did." Cloud felt hurt by his sharp response. He was just trying to make conversation. Why did Barret need to shout? Maybe Cid's right, he is a bit more moody.

Jessie shivered. "What's wrong?" Wedge asked her.

"Oh, someone just walked over my grave."

"Literally?" Cait Sith asked with a chuckle.

"I don't think so."

"Seriously, aren't any of you cold?" Yuffie asked.

"It is . . . a little chilly," Tifa answered quietly. "Don't you think so, Cloud?"

"I'm fine," he answered. It was a bit chilly, but he didn't mind it too much. What he did mind was a feeling deep in his heart that something wasn't right.

"Vincent! Can I borrow your cape?" Yuffie asked.

Vincent, again staring into the Lifestream as he walked, slowly shook his head.

"Please! I'll give it right back. I promise!"

"It won't help," he answered.

"Here, Yuffie, you can take my jacket," Biggs offered.

"Oh, thanks Biggs." She slipped it on. Then she buttoned it up. "Oh, it doesn't help either!" Her eyes fell on the Wastrel. "Hey, Red XIII, can I walk right behind your tail?"

Cloud looked back for a moment, and for the first time noticed that Aerith was also hugging her arms and looking around very uncomfortably. "You cold too?" he asked.

"Mmm-hmm," she nodded. She walked next to him and said very quietly with a voice full of worry, "This isn't an ordinary chill. I know what it means–a dark presence is near."

"You sure?"

"Yes. Can you hear how quiet it is? It's like it's stifling the voice of the planet."

"But the Lifestream's right here."

"I know, so this can't be good."

He thought probably the worst that could happen would be that they would have to fight a boss or a guardian or something. Once they defeat it, that should take care of everything. But as they came closer to the mountain–

"Cloud? Look!" Tifa pointed up to a cliff. They could see a figure in the distance waiting for them, someone with a black cape and one wing. It was hard to see specific details because the sun was getting in their eyes. "Could that be him?"

"No, it's not Sephiroth!" Yuffie said looking up, shielding her eyes with her hand. "His hair's too short!"

"Could it be that other kid that kinda looked like him, Mirage or Montage or Entourage or something like that?" Cid asked.

"Kadaj?" Tifa said.

"Yeah, that sounds right."

"I guess it could be, but he looks taller, and I don't think Kadaj had a wing like that."

"I know who it is," Cloud answered coldly, and he advanced more quickly. This had to be the man he saw in his dream. He climbed, he jumped, he went through tunnels, just to reach this guy. Everybody was fighting to keep up with him, but he lost them after a while. Cloud came behind the mysterious figure through a tunnel.

The man didn't even turn around. "So . . . you are Cloud," he said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah. What of it?" Cloud answered.

The man slowly turned his head, and for the first time Cloud could see him clearly. He looked younger than Sephiroth, but maybe that was just because he had reddish hair, not silver hair. His facial features were rather sharp, but in his eyes was no compassion. "Curious. I don't see it." His voice was soft and wistful. It didn't have the chilling, heartless effect that Sephiroth's voice had. This was a voice of warmth, though it still sounded threatening.

"See what?"

"No matter." He turned and faced Cloud, unfurling his gray wing. "Do you know who I am?"

Cloud decided he'd take a stab at it with Aerith's assumption. "Genesis."

"Very good. I'm surprised that you remember me. Your mental state wasn't its best last we met. It is funny how the mind works. When we lose friends, we drift apart and forget them, but we never forget our enemies!"

Cloud drew his sword.

"Now, now, no need for that . . . yet. I come bearing a message from a . . . mutual friend." He chuckled malevolently as he approached Cloud. "What's taking you so long?"

"That's his message? That doesn't sound like him."

"You don't know him like I do. He can be very impatient. Do you even realize that you're taking the long way? If you went from Midgar, you probably would have found us before the sun set. With this route, you may reach us in about three, maybe five days. By then, it will be too late."

"Too late for what?"

"Let's just say . . . you might miss the happy reunion."

"REUNION?!" As Cloud remember that hateful word and all its implications which Sephiroth placed upon it, he charged at Genesis with Maranatha. Genesis only responded by waving his staff, and Cloud suddenly was frozen. He gaped in surprise.

"I told you–not yet. My message is not complete." He came even closer and whispered into Cloud's ear, "We know about your airship. We know that you have been misled. That's why I've come to help you."

"Do you know who's doing it?" Cloud asked coldly.

"And what if I did? What does that mean to you?"

Cloud just answered with an intimidating stare. Genesis backed up and smiled grandly.

"There, I see it now–your eyes burning with hate and violent anger inside. The resemblance couldn't be clearer. You look just like him!"

It was then Cloud, horrified, knew exactly what he was saying. As soon as he was released from the spell, Cloud charged at Genesis again. He would not allow Genesis to get away with that! Genesis shot him another spell, but Cloud dodged it and struck him. "Don't you dare compare me to him again! That's not me! I'M CLOUD STRIFE!"

Genesis laughed heartily, but then he composed himself. "I meant no disrespect. You should be honored. You are the only guest among the living that has been personally invited. I only wondered why."

"I don't want to be a part of the reunion!"

"If I were you, I would not deny this invitation. He has something very special just for you, a gift."

"Three years ago, the best gift he could give me was despair. He's a terrible gift giver! Tell him I don't want his gifts!"

"You'll have to tell him yourself," Genesis said darkly as he raised his staff, "because I won't take no for an answer!"

Cloud looked behind him for a moment to see if the others had caught up to him, but they weren't there. So he prepared himself to fight on his own. "Come on, get the good sword," he told himself, but he found Maranatha in his hand. The only thing he could think of is to pray he could figure out its secrets in the middle of battle. But even before Genesis came at him–

BANG!

Gray feathers scattered everywhere. "Ahh!" Genesis gasped in pain as his wing shuddered.

"Vincent?" Cloud whispered, looking around. He couldn't see Vincent's red cape anywhere, but who else would have fired that shot?

Genesis turned around. "YOU!"

Cloud looked toward where Genesis was pointing and watched as a figure leapt down, back flipped, and fired a few more rounds. The figure landed right next to Cloud. It was only as the man stood upright that Cloud got a good look at him. "Tseng?"

"Need some help?" he answered.

"So you're on my side?"

Genesis spoke before Tseng could answer. "You cost us one of our guests. I won't let you take another!"

"Neither will I," Tseng replied threateningly. "'The time is out joint, O cursed spite, that ever I was born to set it right.'"

Genesis laughed again. "'Born to set it right?' How ironic!"

Reno and Elena ran up behind him. "This is your big emergency, a one-winged maniac?" Reno sneered.

"What's the matter, Reno? You always like a challenge," Tseng answered to make some, not so appropriate, conversation to jerk Reno out of his grumpiness.

"Yeah, but I still don't like rude awakenings," Reno argued back.

"How touching," Genesis said. "You really are Turks forever, even after what he's done."

"What he's done?" Elena repeated.

"What you talkin' about? Spill it man!" Reno yelled.

"Oh, he hasn't told you?" Genesis smirked. "I'm not surprised. Your fearless leader is–"

Tseng quickly snapped his fingers, and as Genesis opened his mouth to speak, no words came out. Genesis put his hands to his lips in astonishment, then glared at Tseng.

"Whoa, what was that?" Reno asked, utterly bemused. He's never seen Tseng use magic that advanced before.

But instead of explaining, Tseng turned to Cloud. "His strength is magic! Attack him while the spell is still in effect!"

So Cloud charged at him and struck with all his might. With Maranatha, it still didn't do much, and even if Genesis's strength was in his magic, he was still plenty physically strong. He clubbed Cloud pretty good a few times with that staff.

"What are you waiting for?" Tseng yelled at his fellow Turks. "Attack!"

"Yes sir!" Elena replied with a salute, while Reno just gave a grumpy groan. Elena hit him with some Firas (which Genesis absorbed) as well as some Charm spells (which had no effect). Reno struck him a few times with his Tazer Ray, but since his heart wasn't in it, it wasn't as strong as usual. Tseng made the most critical shots with his gun, but Cloud gave the finishing blow when his Climhazzard Limit Break kicked in. Genesis fell to his knees and cried out in pain.

"Uh oh, he's got his voice back," Elena said, quite rhetorically.

"Who cares? He's only got 10 HP. We can finish him off," Reno answered.

But Genesis stood up and glared at Cloud. "This isn't over. Indeed, it is just the beginning. See you soon." He made a small leap and flew away, gray wing batting powerfully.

With a tired sigh, Cloud also fell to his knees. Tseng put his hand on Cloud's shoulder. "You wield your sword well," he said, in comfort.

That was the first time someone actually complimented Cloud after using Maranatha. But what was all of this about? Why was Tseng, his former antagonist, fighting by his side? There must be an explanation. "What do you know about all of this?" Cloud asked in a tired gasp.

Tseng stared off into space as he answered, with a note of sadness in his voice, "Too much."

"Any of it you're gonna share?"

"Not yet."

"Awwwe, why not?" Reno yelled, annoyed and hurt that Tseng couldn't trust them.

Tseng turned and glared at him. "For reasons you could never understand!" he said firmly.

Something about that statement, maybe the tone Tseng used, stung Reno's heart with guilt. Memories flashed in his mind again:

"_I'd never let you write it; your grammar's horrible."_

"_Stop being such a worrywart, Elena . . . Just don't worry about it. He'll be fine . . . He's Tseng, after all."_

_Elena screamed. _

"_Elena! Elena!"_

"_He's not breathing! HE'S NOT BREATHING!"_

"_No . . . impossible . . ."_

_The whole time, Reno couldn't stop staring at the cell phone, lying just a foot away from Tseng's lifeless hand. "23 Text Messages," the screen said. 23, Reno's lucky number, until today . . ._

"He knows," Reno thought. He backed away, shell shocked, and saddened.

Tseng, meanwhile wondered back toward Cloud. "Didn't know you were a poet," Cloud said wearily, his head still aching. "That whole 'cursed spite' thing."

"No, that's not me. It's Shakespeare. Have you ever seen _Hamlet_?"

Cloud shook his head. Something about the question reminded him when Cid asked him if he saw _Loveless_. What is it about Cloud's personality that makes others assume that he was into theater?

"You should. I think you'd like it."

"What did it mean?"

"I mostly said it to get his attention. Genesis has a habit for quoting 'Loveless,' and I desired to show him I knew some quotable plays, too. But that line had a message for you, too."

"What is it?"

"That the time has not yet come, but it will come when you are ready. You must believe that, as do I."

"Time for what?" Cloud asked impatiently.

But Tseng had already turned away and started walking down the tunnel. "I believe your friends are waiting for you at the foot of the mountain."

"They're still down there?!" Cloud stood and turned around. Tseng was gone.

--

Cloud climbed down slowly, since he was still very tired. Tifa met him as soon as he made it down. "Where were you guys?" he gasped.

"Sorry, Cloud," she answered. "We wanted to come help, but we couldn't get Vincent to come with us."

"Vincent?"

"It's bad this time, Cloud. He's sitting by the Lifestream talking to himself, and he won't move!"

"Why didn't you just leave him down there?" Cloud muttered angrily, thinking how that ex-Turk was beginning to get on his already frazzled nerves.

"Because we're worried about him, Cloud! I really mean it, he won't move. It's like we don't exist. Only he and the Lifestream exist to him."

"I've had enough of this." Cloud stamped over to that part of the Lifestream where everybody else was crowding around, pushed through them, and once more yanked Vincent by the collar. "What is it this time? Just why have you come with us? And don't you DARE give me that junk about 'green dreams' or whatever it is!"

Vincent only answered once more, "Colorless green ideas–"

Cloud slapped his face. "Look, you keep saying that, but it doesn't make any sense! It's driving me crazy! Saying it a million times isn't going to make it make sense!"

Vincent pulled himself away from Cloud and for once became more like his usual self. "That's the whole point, Cloud! Don't you see? It's a riddle. I've been trying to unravel it for years. They were Noam's last words."

"Noam? Who in the name of all that is holy is Noam?"

"A folklorist, and my schoolmate."

"Schoolmate?"

Vincent raised his eyebrow. "I was young, once." He then turned away but continued to talk. "He worked with Shinra researching language and culture to see how much truth there was to the accounts the Turks obtained about the Ancients. Noam spent a long time in Cosmo Canyon. He always called it 'the center of Ancient folklore.' I rarely saw him. Then, I heard he had disappeared. His journal revealed that he had found a place where the Lifestream had broken onto the surface. As an experiment, Noam went into the Lifestream alive, believing that he would contact the Ancients themselves and learn their secrets. Somehow, his fellow researchers found this place and pulled him out, still alive. When they asked to describe what he experienced, he replied, 'Colorless green ideas sleep fiercely.' He could say nothing else. Some days, he would remain completely silent, but other times he continued to repeat these strange words, until the Lifestream called him back."

"So he went crazy! His lost his mind with the Mako poisoning!"

"I don't think so. I came to visit him and heard him say it, and I believe it made perfect sense to him. He wanted me to decipher it! I feel as though it's supposed to make sense, but it's filled with so many contradictions—dead but alive, resting but awake, placid but vengeful, nebulous and colorless but . . . green." He kneeled down to the Lifesteam, reached in, got a handful of the "water," and watched it run through his fingers. "What does it mean?" he whispered.

"It means absolutely nothing! It's just the rambling of another man's insanity. Vincent, I went through Mako poisoning. I know how it feels. Your mind just falls apart. Nothing and everything makes sense at the same time."

"That's another reason. I remember your going through it, and it wasn't like what I saw in Noam." His tone was resolute, bordering on stubborn.

"Well, this isn't going to tell you the answer." Cloud knelt down to the Lifestream. "Just what are you looking for in there, anyway? There's nothing to see, nothing you can see anyway, not until you di–"

Vincent looked up at him again, his eyes misted with pain and weariness. Cloud realized that he had hit a nerve. For the first time, Cloud understood why this riddle was so important to him. He was looking for something he couldn't have.

Still, Cloud felt compelled to finish his thought, though he said it in a less arrogant tone, "You can't even see your own reflection."

"I wish I could explain it to you," Aerith said softly, coming closer to Vincent, "but I don't even know how to put it into words. I'm sorry."

Vincent looked at her, probably for the first time with some regret. "I envy you, you know. You have within you the answer to every riddle I can never solve."

Aerith gently touched his shoulder and whispered in his ear.

Vincent nodded. "Very well. Thank you."

Cloud followed her as she walked off. "Please don't be so hard on him," she said without turning around. "I can feel sadness and loneliness in his heart. He's trying to hide it behind his usual cold demeanor, but it's so strong. Vincent's hurting for the Lifestream, too. But because of the Jenova cells inside him, the Lifestream rejects him. So he envies the dead."

"Yeah. I think I'm starting to understand." Cloud remembered what he heard in his dream, and he repeated it softly. "If you wish to obtain the gift of immortality and perfection–"

"–you must learn to suffer," Aerith said, finishing the thought. She nodded sadly. "Exactly."

"Will it reject me?"

"It didn't reject Zack. That's why I told Vincent not to lose hope."

"Well, he doesn't have to be stuck by the Lifestream like a stone, especially when we need him. We just need to give him a little shove now and then."

"I guess that's true."

"We better get going. We got a long climb, and I gotta make it again."

"Was it Genesis up there?"

"Yeah, it was. Wait until I tell you everything." And boy, was there a lot to tell.

--

Reno was walking alone through the mountain tunnel back to the helicopter, still thinking about everything. Tseng was standing alone at the end of the tunnel. Reno was just ten feet behind him when he spoke without even turning around.

"Reno, it wasn't your fault," Tseng said curtly.

He was stunned! How did Tseng know what he was thinking? He tried to deflect his surprise. "What, you mean that he got away? Well, I didn't—"

"That's not what I mean, and you know it."

Alright, this was really creeping him out. Still, all Reno said in reply was, "You're just saying that."

"Reno, Reno, Reno," Tseng answered, shaking his head, "do I ever 'just say' anything? It was not . . . your . . . fault! It was my decision to split the Turks up. I alone bear the blame, and I alone bear the consequences. That doesn't mean I didn't get what I deserved, but it's past now. 'Shilly-shally, dilly-dally.'"

Reno shook his head in disbelief. Where had he heard that before? He stammered out. "Well, it's just . . . I shoulda checked on you. I mean, Elena was right. It wasn't safe in there, was it? And the things I said to try and assure her . . . I shoulda known better."

"You're right, you should have. It was very immature of you, but you've always been that way. You must learn to forgive yourself and live life without regrets, the way you used to."

"Easy for you to say!" Reno's mind screamed, wondering if Tseng could hear that too. But he said aloud, "Well, you can't blame me for feeling guilty, can you? I mean, don't you feel guilty that the last thing you said to me was that I had bad grammar?"

"No," Tseng replied with just a little amusement, "because I know at least I told you the truth."

"Well . . . I . . ." For once in his life, Reno was fighting to find the right words. So he just stuttered out, "'Shilly-shally, dilly-dally?' That's like . . . what Tifa told Cloud. That doesn't sound like something you'd say."

Tseng looked away and gave a small smile. "I learned it from the best friend I never knew," he said softly.

Tseng walked away, and Reno just stood alone, scratching his head. "'The best friend I never knew?'" What?! This mystery on top of everything else? Reno gave an exasperated sigh and walked out of the tunnel saying, "Man, I miss the old Tseng."


	8. The Great Wish

Chapter 8: The Great Wish

As Tseng's message came clearer to Reno, every step up the mountain felt a little easier. He'd been forgiven, absolved, redeemed! All this guilt he had held inside his heart for a year seemed to gradually lift, and he could hold his redhead higher. Why, he felt light as a feather, maybe even a little giddy. Sure, there was still a great mystery about it, but at least for once he wasn't responsible. "Wait'll I tell Rude," he said to himself.

But the second he neared the helicopter, he heard a very loud, crude interjection and the unmistakable thud of a counter being punched. Oh great, he's frustrated. Sure enough, as Reno came in, he saw Rude sitting at a desk in front of a laptop, both of his hands grasping the sides of his head. "S'matter, Rude?" Reno asked.

"Listen to this," he said. He clicked his mouse, and a very faint sound of static came over the speakers. Reno leaned in closer and fiddled with the volume, but that was it.

"Uh, I don't hear anything."

"Exactly! I bugged Tseng's phone to record his next conversation with his accomplice, but he evidently jammed it somehow. I spent all morning, using every trick, every program I know, and this is all I'm getting! I can't even hear his voice! He really doesn't want us to know what's going on."

"Uh, you know Rude, I was just thinkin', sure maybe Tseng's acting weird and he's got an accomplice, but so what? He's not a bad guy. I mean, just this morning–"

"Reno, are you forgetting something?"

"Forgetting something?" He started searching his person. "Well, there's my weapon, my keys, my Shinra ID, I am fully-clothed (thank goodness), I'm looking good as always, and–" (He caught a whiff of stale sweat and winced). "OK, I haven't showered yet, but I just finished climbing a mountain, so–"

"We took an oath–our allegiance is to Shinra alone. We have not been following Shinra's orders because _he's _not following Shinra's orders!"

Oh, so that's it. "Well, what does this have to do with what President Shinra said?"

"This is different. This is investigating a possible traitor, a project that I am licensed to undertake the moment of suspected activity!"

"Tseng . . . a traitor?"

"Think about it, Reno. All these vague missions, just off the bat. He might just be buying Sephiroth time. In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Tseng's accomplice is Sephiroth himself."

Reno very seriously doubted that. If he was on Sephiroth's side, why would Tseng go out of his way to fight with Cloud this one time, even encourage him? Still, what that one-winged guy said may hold some weight against Tseng. He did something. Reno didn't know what it was, but it had to be pretty bad, the way Tseng silenced him so quickly. (He wished he knew how Tseng did that–and if he could teach it to him.) But all he could say was, "Uhhhh, I don't know."

"Well, there's only one way to find out. Everything else is getting us nowhere. We gotta go find his accomplice and make 'em talk."

"What are you talkin' about? Breaking away from the Turks?"

"They're not Turks anymore. They're traitors!"

"Even Elena?"

"Even Elena. She made very clear that she's allied herself with him."

"But . . . man, I don't know."

Rude pulled his shades down and looked Reno directly in the eye. "Reno, I'm telling you, this is it. If we sit around here following Tseng's orders, we're just wasting our time! We got to start playing by our rules. Are you in, or are you out?"

Reno thought really hard about this, but by the time he got to a decision–

"Look sharp, boys!" Tseng had just boarded. "Buckle up. We gotta get back to–"

"No!" Rude approached him. "We're leaving."

Tseng raised an eyebrow. "Disobeying a direct order, Rude? It's . . . very unlike you to be insubordinate."

"I only recognize Shinra's orders, and according to these orders, I have clearance to find your accomplice and bring him to justice!"

"Justice? Or is it just an excuse for torture?"

Rude didn't answer but stared at him defiantly.

"Well . . . good luck." Tseng turned his back on him. Rude walked away with a grunt.

Reno took a deep breath. He really didn't want to do this. "Tseng . . . I'm sorry. It's nothing personal. A guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do."

Tseng didn't answer.

Reno sighed and walked out the open helicopter door. He followed Rude who was walking as quickly as he could away from the aircraft. "So, how are we even gonna find this guy? We don't even know who he is!"

"Don't worry about that. I have a plan."

"And that is–?"

"Start with Angeal. I did some more research on him. He's from Banora Village, and I have a good feeling we might find him there."

"Banora Village? Where is that exactly?" Rude said, but the helicopter was just taking off, and Reno didn't quite catch his answer. The only thing he heard was Rude's distinct order as they were walking away.

"Don't look back!"

--

"What, we're just gonna leave them there?" Elena asked, exasperated.

"It's their choice," Tseng answered.

"That sounds like what Reno said," Elena answered quietly.

"Believe me, I am drawing on more maturity to make this decision than Reno will know in a lifetime! Probably."

"You . . . you knew what Rude was up to, didn't you? You didn't even ask him to come with us."

Tseng nodded. "Yes, I knew."

"Why didn't you try to stop him?"

"If he wants to find out so badly, he has to find out on his own."

"So . . . what are we gonna do?"

"Well, for now . . . I think I still owe you a dinner."

"Ex . . . cuse me?"

"Remember? I offered you dinner in the Temple of the Ancients, and then Sephiroth attacked me. I don't think I ever followed through."

"Tseng, you don't have to do that."

"Well, I want to. I think it'll help us both. We're both rather tense."

Elena just wasn't sure about this. Their relationship is supposed to be strictly professional. Besides, if he wasn't here to stay, her heart might get broken again. Then again, it would give her a chance to ask some hard questions of him in a more comfortable setting. "So, where do you want to go?"

"We could go to that café in Nibelheim."

"No! No, I'm sorry, but . . . I just have so many bad memories about that place."

"Ah, I see. Why don't you choose?"

"OK. Uh . . . there's a nice coffee house in Kalm Town. They serve sandwiches around noon."

"Kalm Town it is." He made a small yawn. "I could really go for some coffee, anyway."

--

"WHOA!" Tifa exclaimed the moment she got on the other side of Mt. Corel.

"Leapin' chocobos!" Cid cried as he joined her.

"Hey, what's the fuss all ab–WOW! DUDE!" Yuffie yelled as soon as she saw.

Everybody marveled similarly as soon as they cleared the mountain (even Vincent's eyes widened in surprise), everybody except Cloud who kinda expected seeing it. Once Barret joined them, he looked over at him. "Expanded again, huh?"

Barret sighed and nodded. From the mountain, they all had a bird's eye view of the metropolis that was Corel.

"I've never seen a town this big, except for Midgar," Jessie said.

"Of course, nobody has," Wedge added.

"And to think, it all started as a pathetic, dusty dot in the road," Tifa added. "That's what surprises me."

"Dot in the road? What's that?" Biggs asked.

"North Corel."

"North Corel? Isn't that where you said you were from, Barret?"

Barret, however, put his one hand on his forehead. "Oh please, quit talkin' about it! It just keeps getting bigger and bigger and BIGGER!" He groaned and ran ahead of them.

"What's the matter with him?" Yuffie asked.

"Barret is Corel's Alderman. He's in charge of all the property," Cloud answered.

"Really? I didn't know that," Tifa noted.

"How'd you know that?" Cait Sith asked.

"We worked on the same project, remember? In fact, it was partly his idea."

"Well, why don't we take a closer look at the town?" Aerith suggested.

"Yeah. It's been a while since I've seen the town up close," Cloud nodded.

It felt a lot like Midgar. Corel, for the most part, consisted of a lot of building and not much substance. It mostly felt very crowded. The difference with Midgar citizens, though, was that they had a tendency to be gloomy whereas the Corel folks seemed very optimistic. They kept talking to Cloud about how much Barret was helping with progress in the city. It seemed like a big contrast to the impression of Corel Cloud got five years ago, just a bitter handful of yokels bad-mouthing Barret in every way they could.

When the group was touring the Capitol building, they found Barret sitting at his desk, practically buried in papers. "Hey boss, what's eatin' ya?" Biggs said cheerfully.

"This town," Barret answered wearily.

"Don't get so down," Aerith encouraged him. "Everybody's been saying how good you've been doing."

"Oh yeah, everything's going great! It's just so much! When I was first down here, I felt a big fish in a little pond. I came back, and I was still a big fish, but the pond was getting a little bigger. It just kept growin' and growin' until it became a huge lake that swallowed me whole! If I don't dam it up somehow, it might flood the whole continent." He sighed. "I always thought I was cut out to be a leader, but now that I am one, I don't think I can take it."

"Well, Barret, you shoulda said something!" It was Cait Sith who said this. "If you woulda told me, I woulda helped you!"

"You?"

"Well, not like this. More like . . . the way I really am. I know about the legalities. I can help you fill out paperwork and everything."

"No, no, I can handle all that."

"Come on, Barret, the reason you're drowning is because you're not asking for help. You know it!"

"This stuff is boring! I don't want it to be a burden on you guys."

"It's not a burden," Jessie answered. "I know about this kind of stuff, too. I'd be happy to help."

"And I was your second-in-command before; I'd be happy to be that again," Biggs offered. "It should make good money, right?" He looked toward Yuffie and grinned.

"That's very sweet. I'm gonna have to think it over, though. Why don't you guys go out and enjoy the town?"

Everybody walked out of the office bothered and worried. Something else clearly was on Barret's mind.

--

With a ceremonial air, as he did before every meal, Tseng held up his Styrofoam coffee cup and said, "To Shinra and the Spirit of the Turks." Elena held up her cup as a way to affirm his toast, and both drank. She had to admit, though, Tseng said that much more half-heartedly than he used to, but she decided not to mention it. "You are . . . looking lovely today," Tseng said quietly.

Elena gave a coy smile. "Thank you." She took a bite of her sandwich and thought about the many questions she had in her mind. How was she going to put this?

"Something on your mind?"

"Yeah, a lot."

"Like what?"

"Do you think Rude and Reno will be OK?"

Tseng laughed. "They'll be fine. They're a little confused right now, but they'll be back."

Something about his answer didn't sound genuine. "Rude seemed really angry. I heard him say some things. To make a long story short, he doesn't trust you."

"I know. We had a talk, too. I think, after he sees what's really out there, he'll change his tune."

She put down her sandwich. "OK. I know there's a bunch of stuff you can't tell us, but why? Don't you trust us?"

"Elena, it's not you."

"What is it then?"

"It's . . . it's not you. Try to believe me, Elena. I'm doing this to protect you, and Reno, and even Rude."

"But why is it everybody else seems to be in on it except us?"

"Nobody else is in on it."

"What about that guy we fought this morning?"

"He was just trying to confuse you. It's what he does."

"I thought so. I just wasn't sure." She picked her sandwich back up, but she was still thinking. There were still a lot of questions in her head, but most of them Tseng probably wouldn't answer. But there was one that she had to ask. "Can you stay?"

"No," Tseng answered, looking away.

"Why not?"

"I don't have a choice."

"Tseng, we need you. When you were gone, we weren't the same. We each tried to lead, but we just don't know what we're doing as well as you do."

"It's not up to me, Elena. I belong to the Lifestream now. When it's restored, I have to go back."

"But what will we do?"

"You'll be fine. You can be very brave and strong if you learn to rely on yourself."

Elena finished the last bite of her sandwich. She almost choked on it because she was near tears. As she sipped on her coffee, she thought of one other thing she needed to say, but she just couldn't say it yet. "So, what are we doing next?"

Tseng thought for a moment. They had no luck in the Promised Land and no luck in Mithril Cave. Where else could they look? He knew there were clues in Mt. Nibel, but he can't go there. If only the Temple of the Ancients was still standing. The Guardian was waiting at Cosmo Canyon, but he didn't like to be disturbed. Oh, if only he could hear the voice of the planet.

"We'll go back and take a closer look at Mt. Corel, but since we're nearby, let's first stop at Midgar. There's something I want to get out of the archive."

"What's that?"

"Notes from Shinra's greatest folklorist, Noam Hoffman."

"Oh." She never heard of him before.

--

"So this is Banora?" Reno thought aloud. "I don't think I've ever been here. Pretty small town. Quiet place. Maybe I'll retire here one day." He passed by a White Banora tree and suddenly burst out laughing. "Rude, get a load of this!" As Rude rushed over, Reno picked from the tree's limbs, "A purple apple!" Reno couldn't stop laughing at the absurd sight.

"Dumbapple," Rude said.

Reno suddenly stopped laughing. "What did you call me?"

"It's what the fruit's called. Technically, it's a White Banora apple. This village is rather famous for them."

"They call it a dumbapple because purple's a dumb color for a piece of fruit, right?"

"No, because it's always produced out of season."

"Huh. Wonder what it tastes like." Reno took a big bite. "Hey, not bad. Try some, Rude," he said with his mouth full handing the fruit over to him.

"You're stealing," said a dark voice behind them.

"We're Turks! Technically, everything in Shinra territory is ours."

"I know. Rude and Reno, right?" The speaker walked in front of them, a strong man with black hair and dark clothes. "I've been watching you."

Reno nearly dropped the dumbapple. "You're–"

"Angeal," Rude finished his thought. "We were looking for you."

"So I've heard. Tseng didn't send you, did he?"

"Nope," Reno answered.

"I thought as much. I'll give you fair warning. I used to be SOLDIER First Class, and I will not go down easily."

Reno shot a confused look at Rude. "You didn't mention that."

Angeal drew a huge sword, the Buster Sword newly sharpened and cleaned, and unfurled a huge, white wing.

Reno's eyes grew wide, and he took a step back. "And you really didn't mention that!"

"I didn't know!" Rude shouted at him. "We're not gonna let that stop us in the least!"

"Yeah, let's go!" Reno got out his stun gun. "Tazer Ra–!"

Before he could even get any sparks going, Angeal charge, leapt in the air with a battle yell, and sliced into Reno.

"AGGGGH!" Reno put his hand on the wound. "That was a good sword. Man, I think that took out 100 HP first go."

"Leave him to me," Rude said. He charged at Angeal with a flaming punch attack, taking 2000 HP from the white-winged warrior. Angeal quickly retaliated with his sword, but Rude rejoined Reno and whispered, "That sword looks familiar, doesn't it?"

"Yeah . . . kinda." Reno tried the tazer attack again, and it was successful. Then Rude hit Angeal with a knockout punch, and it had the desired result.

The two Turks came up to their opponent. Rude picked up the sword off his back. "It's the Buster Sword. This is Cloud's sword."

"No, he's got a different one now, doesn't he? Doesn't it, like, split?"

"OK, it was Cloud's sword. It might be the reason his sword is substandard now. Well, come on. Let's get him ready." They picked Angeal up and took him to an abandoned building.

--

Corel had a wide selection of stores, and Cloud broke away from the group to do some window shopping. He came across an interesting store–a weapon maintenance shop. Looking at that gave him a few ideas, and he went in. The proprietor greeted him. "Hello, welcome!"

"Hey. Uh, is there anything you can do for this?" He drew Maranatha.

"Well, let's see. It's a beautiful sword! It doesn't need to be cleaned; it's spotless. Not like my last project. That took a lot of elbow grease."

"Can you try sharpening it?"

"Sure. I could try it." The proprietor put the sword against a welding stone for quite a few minutes, but when he ran his finger along the blade, "No change." Cloud sighed and shook his head as he took the sword back. "You know, not all weapons are meant to deal out a lot of physical damage. Maybe what it needs is some materia."

"Well, it's only got two slots. I got one filled, but it's still a level one materia, so it hasn't been much good. Hey . . ." Cloud pulled the materia out and held it to the light. "I only used this a few times, but . . . I don't think it's gotten any AP at all. Maybe if I put it in the other slot." He tried, but it wouldn't go in all the way, just like the Lure materia. "What's the deal?"

"It's possible it's made for something other than materia."

"What else could it be made for?"

But the proprietor just shrugged. Cloud walked out frustrated as the store owner yelled an apology to him. He tried to walk off his frustration, but he just kept thinking about how confused he was. Then he remembered what Aerith told him. He knew there was only one force that understood the true power of this sword. He walked out of the city limits to the Lifestream.

"Can you hear me?" he called out.

"_Cloud . . ."_

The mysterious, sing-songy voice was all around him. He could almost feel like someone was there. He sat down by the Lifestream and rested Maranatha on his knees. "Listen, I need to talk to you. I like this sword. I really do. I don't understand why I like it, but I do. I know it's special. I just don't understand how it's special. What do I do? I'm running out of ideas. How do I unleash its true power?"

The voice didn't answer. Cloud's heart sank. He knew this was hopeless. He grabbed Maranatha's hilt to sheathe it when suddenly–

He was swimming. At least, that's what it felt like. He could feel the gentle, cold water all around him, but he had no problem with breathing. He didn't feel like he was drowning. His vision wasn't blurred or stung by this strange water.

"What's going on? Am I in the Lifestream?" he thought. He closed his eyes and remembered. No, it wasn't like this. But why was he down here?

He started moving his arms like he was doing a butterfly stroke, and he moved forward. So, he could move! He just started swimming, not knowing where he was going, just knowing that he had to move forward. He could see strange colors float by him. Sometimes, he thought he could hear a voice.

Then, just before him, he could see a small sphere, swirling with green and white colors. "Materia!" he thought. He swam toward it, but the closer he got, the more it drifted away. The current was pulling it away from him. He knew he couldn't give up. He needed that materia! He didn't even know what kind it was; he just knew he needed it.

Finally, he came close enough. He reached out. His fingertips gingerly touched its cool, round surface.

Then, he felt something yank at his belly button. He was being seized up, just like a fish out of water. "No! NO!" He splashed and fought with all of his strength to resist the force pulling him up, but it was no use. His actions only made the materia more inaccessible. He looked back to see what was doing this, but he could see nothing. Not even a fishing line. So he continued to fight, to get back, screaming as he broke onto the surface.

Suddenly, he was at the banks of the Lifestream again. He still had that feeling, that touch of the materia on his fingertips. And he still reeled over the loss. "It's just a dream," he muttered. As he said the words, his head started throbbing again. He gasped in pain and gritted his teeth.

Even so, as he continued to ponder the vision, he couldn't help but think of what Vincent had said, "Colorless green ideas sleep furiously."

"HYPOCRISY!" Cloud looked up and saw Vincent standing over him, arms crossed. "After all the times you have been impatient with me for visiting the Lifestream, and now you're doing it!"

"I know, sorry," Cloud said annoyed. "It was a last resort."

"Last resort?" Vincent repeated as he sat down. "Are you thinking it should have been your first?"

Cloud just sighed. Maybe he was right. "I am losing my mind! Now, I'm thinking about that crazy 'green ideas' thing. Worse . . . it's starting to make sense. "

"Is that so?"

"Are you really sure it means the Lifestream?"

"What else could it be?"

"I don't know. Something else just occurred to me, and . . . well, I was trying to figure this sword out and . . . something just happened and . . . now, I'm thinking about your riddle, and just wondering if . . . you know, I feel like I had it, for just a moment."

"And it evaded your grasp?"

"Yeah."

"Cloud, do you believe in the Great Wish?" Vincent asked suddenly.

"The Great . . . Wish? I . . . I don't even know what that is."

Vincent looked away sadly. "So, it's already fallen into disfavor. Can't say I'm surprised. When I was young, I was taught a creed handed down through generations: 'They who understand and love the gifts of the planet and commit their hearts to the ways of righteousness shall be called the friends of the planet, and the Lifestream will grant their wish.'"

"What does that even mean? They can have whatever they want?"

"No. It's never stated as part of the rule, but I've been taught that it must be a wish made with all your heart, a wish so big that every cell, every fiber of your being screams for it."

"So, it's almost impossible." Cloud knew he could never feel that way.

"Not necessarily. I think the stipulation is there to explain sometimes what you wish for isn't really what you get. You heart may desire something else."

"But I don't understand. If it's true, there wouldn't be people suffering and dying, right? We'd wish that kind of thing away."

"You see, that's the problem. In my lifetime, there was a movement from a group of scientists and philosophers. They said the planet was dead. The things on the planet are alive, but the planet itself has no soul. Therefore, it couldn't discern the virtuous ones from evil ones. They said there is no Lifestream, just cold Mako energy. Therefore, there's no such thing as the Great Wish. They even said it was just a fairy tale invented to trick little children into good behavior. And the main basis they had for this claim is that the concept didn't explain why we still live with pain, hunger, and death, why such things weren't wished away. Their argument was very logical, but it made so many people angry, and some just lost hope."

"Who'd say something like that?"

"A small faction of Shinra researchers. They called themselves the Turks."

"No! How could they teach there was no Lifestream? Didn't they see it?"

"You have to think scientifically. Many things taught about the Lifestream don't make logical sense. It's harder to accept things that don't have an explanation."

"But . . . you were a Turk! Did you believe them?"

"I didn't know what I believed in the beginning. Not all Turks were faithless, though. Noam believed. In fact, I think he was ultimately trying to prove that the Great Wish was real. When he died, I tried to carry on his research, but . . . I got sidetracked."

"That's why you're trying to figure out that riddle, right? You're trying to find logic in it."

"It's one reason."

"Do you . . . believe now?"

"I lost my faith when Hojo betrayed me. I'll tell you this, though, I was never really sure what I felt about the Great Wish, until five years ago . . . when Aerith prayed for Holy."

That's true! Aerith prayed with all of her heart and soul, and her prayer was answered. Did Cloud ever feel like that? Well . . . come to think of it, he really, really wanted to stop Biggs from committing suicide yesterday. And the day before that, he wanted to have a decent sword just as badly.

"You know, I think the only times I really wanted something with all of my heart . . . I was angry."

Vincent nodded. "I know what you mean."

And hey . . . both of those times . . .

"There you are!" Yuffie, Jessie, and Wedge ran up to them. "Come on, Cloud, we found the ropeway to the Golden Saucer!" Yuffie said.

"Can we go, please?" Jessie asked meekly. "I haven't been since I was a little girl."

"Yeah, and I heard it's been newly expanded since they moved Corel Prison. It's got to have a lot more cool stuff."

"You think it's got some good rides?" Wedge asked Yuffie.

"I bet it does, Ferris wheels and roller coasters, and of course the chocobo races!"

Tifa came up behind them leisurely with a look of disappointment on her face. "I told them it was your call. If you want to move on, we all agreed that we'd understand." All the younger members of the party jumped around Cloud repeating their pleas.

"Let's go," he replied.

"Awwwe," Yuffie moaned. "Cloud, you're no fun!"

"No, I mean show me to the ropeway. Let's go." Yuffie squealed, and all the other young people cheered and ran off.

Tifa, meanwhile, put her hands on her hips. "You sure about this?"

"Actually, I really want to go. I've been thinking about Golden Saucer a lot, and there are some things up there I want to see again."

"What about the Lifestream?"

"We're not gonna be there long. It should still be here when we get back." He turned back to Vincent. "You can stay down here, if you want. Maybe you'll find your wish."

Vincent nodded. "Thank you."

Tifa smiled at him. "Wow, you've changed."

Cloud stopped for a moment. He didn't like the sound of that.

--

"Tseng?"

He'd been sitting outside on the Corel mountain range, reading Noam's notes again while looking out over some cliffs, to see (what do you know?) more cliffs. He needed to take his mind off more pressing matters. Apparently "pressing matters" had made their way to him.

"Yes?" He turned, since it was only polite to do so. Elena smiled slightly at his acknowledgment and walked over to his side.

"Are you scared?"

His eyebrows rose slightly.

"Scared?"

"You know, that grinding feeling in your gut that makes you shiver and quail and want to chicken out?"

"Elena, I wasn't asking for a definition. But scared is not what I'd use to describe what I'm feeling."

"Then what?" She looked at him, eyebrow raised in question.

"I'm . . ." He searched for a word, "–apprehensive."

"Apprehensive?" It wasn't as if she didn't know what the word meant.

"I feel like I can't trust anyone. Yet I know it's my fault. I hid things from all of you. And I can say those weren't the only ones. And they don't trust me. I'm apprehensive as to what they'll do."

Elena knew he was talking about. So his confident, "they'll be fine" attitude at the coffee shop was just a front. Well, even if they were probably making a fool of themselves somewhere far away, she still felt like she needed to stand up for them. "They are just . . . not so accepting of your return. You were never truly dead in our eyes. Rude has been in denial for so long. Reno's always going like, 'Turks never say die!', but I know he keeps thinking about that day. I hear him talking about it in his sleep, sometimes, and I've learned to recognize that look when he's remembering. I think we were getting close to accepting it when, well, this happened. And you know, it doesn't help that we still don't know . . ."

"I'm not saying I blame them. It's just, to make sure everything happens according to the plan, I resort to the only method I know–Smoke and Mirrors."

"We are all built on that, Tseng. It's how we were trained. You're not alone, you know."

He seemed to look up as though he had already understood that. "You're right, I am not. Yet, it does not seem to help. I still keep secrets, far bigger than you can imagine, and I can't say them out loud."

Elena's eyes darkened with disappointment that Tseng didn't want to come clean to her, but she accepted it. "Then, you don't need to. I meant to say something earlier. Tseng, if you really did do something terrible, like that guy this morning was saying, and I'm not saying I believe him, but if you did, whatever it was . . . I forgive you."

Tseng suddenly turned away, hiding his face in his hand, massaging his forehead. He was silent for a very long time. "Elena . . ." he finally said quietly, "you don't know what that means to me. If only you realize what a precious treasure forgiveness is. It should have been what I sought. It should have been . . . my wish." He reached out and took her hand. "Don't ever forget that, Elena. And thank you," he whispered.

She squeezed his hand in response, but she was wondering why Tseng wasn't acting like himself. This was definitely something Shinra didn't teach. They were supposed to be merciless. She quickly let got of his hand. "Well, we gotta get to work."

"Yes," Tseng said with a curt nod as he shut the folder. "Let's go."


	9. Persona

Chapter 9: Persona

Cloud's mind felt muddy, and his heart was heavy as he was ascending up the ropeway. Now, he finally had a clue. The way he unleashes Maranatha's true power is if he desired the power with all of his heart. That's how he got it to work the first time; he wanted it to do what it was supposed to do. Then the sword got him to call Biggs back because he was so set on saving him from suicide. It just bothered him that he had to get so frustrated to even get close to using this strange power.

Why didn't he know about this Great Wish earlier? He could have wished Sephiroth away. He could have wished Geostigma away, or the Kadaj brothers, or Weapon! Why was it kept from him that life could be so simple? Well, it's not so simple, is it? How could he wish for something with all his heart, especially when his heart keeps getting distracted? Maybe it isn't real. Maybe what Aerith did was a completely different thing.

And was Tifa right? Is he changing? He remained unsettled by what Genesis said, "The resemblance couldn't be clearer." Inside, Cloud was still a Sephiroth clone. He could still feel the Jenova cells flowing in his blood. He wondered how much of Sephiroth was still there, inside. And you know, before he knew about that, he was Zack. Well, he thought he was Zack, but it was more like he put on a Zack-mask. Why was it, for five years, he lived up to his promise that he'd live Zack's life for him, and then he forgot that Zack ever existed? Maybe because it came to a point the mask became harder to take off. This part of him that's a hero, it's really Zack, isn't it? Or is it Sephiroth? Where is Cloud anyway? Is he just a frightened, weak little boy hiding behind two masks? Could this be why he feels so empty?

And then, there was the biggest thing, the reason he was going to the Golden Saucer . . .

"Wow, you sure look glum for somebody who's going to an amusement park!" Yuffie said, playfully punching his arm.

"I'm just thinking, Yuffie," Cloud said in a disconnected voice, trying to brush away the somewhat irritating youngster.

"You're not supposed to think, just have fun!"

"I need to think."

"Yuffie, leave him alone," Aerith said softly yet firmly, almost maternal.

"Alright. Sorry," Yuffie replied and backed off, not really sure why she was obeying.

Since Cloud made it an option to Vincent to come, he made it an option to everybody else on the team. Barret wanted to stay behind, and oddly enough, so did Cait Sith. Cloud was very surprised that the toy cat didn't want to take a trip down Memory Lane, but Sith answered that he visited Golden Saucer recently and wasn't impressed. Cloud was also surprised that Cid wanted to go, but the Captain whispered to him that he wanted to see the place closely, in case "Wedge, Jr." ever wanted to go.

Golden Saucer didn't look too different at the entrance. There were still oversized chocobos and moogles and lots of bright colors. The first major change was the price–5000 gil for a one-day pass! Cloud dug the money out of his pocket, thinking, "This better be worth it."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Yuffie said as they got to the Station. "I was selling some materia a few months ago, and this idiot paid me in GP instead of gil. I let it slide because I was hoping I'd go back to Golden Saucer one day." She counted the money from her pouch. "Here we go, 5000 GP."

"How much will that cost us?"

"Oh, forget it. We got to use it up anyway, and since you were so generous letting us go . . . let's just split it up." So, in a very rare generous moment from the thief, Yuffie doled out 500 GP to everybody. "Don't spend it all in one place!"

"That's gonna be tough," Tifa muttered.

They saw in the Station that there were many more new places in the theme park, including Prehistoric Square, Magic Square, Spira Square, and Dalmasca Square. Yuffie and most everybody else went down the tube labeled "Wonder Square." Cid jumped into the "Speed Square" tube. Cloud stood there for a moment and looked all around. Where was "Event Square?" That's where he wanted to go first. Let's see, it was the second one on the left. He decided to see where it goes.

Once on the other side, he looked around in disbelief. "Souvenir Square?! What happened to the theater?"

"We tore it down," a nonchalant voice replied. Cloud turned and saw Dio, the owner of Golden Saucer, standing by his side.

"Tore it down? I had a very special memory about that theater!"

"Sorry, pal, but it wasn't profitable. We couldn't fill the theater if we were featuring an all-star cast of _Loveless_," Dio replied, offering an unhelpful shrug.

"Well, do you attract a lot of visitors to your museum?

"Touche. But you ought to check out this little shopping pavilion. We got some rare items, and all your favorite aspects of the rest of the park have a little shop up here."

Cloud shook his head and walked past Dio. It didn't look interesting at all to him. Sure, some of the orphans might like a new stuffed moogle or chocobo doll, but nothing looked useful for Cloud. Still, he thought he might as well look around.

His mind was still full with all the questions and doubts he had on the ropeway. As he was thinking of it all, Cloud past by a store window, and he just happened to notice that the step of his reflection was out of sync with his. He stopped and looked. For a moment, he thought it was nothing, that he was seeing things. Yet just to make sure, he reached out and touched the smooth, cold glass. The reflection was not following him at all. Cloud backed away and stared.

The reflection drew its sword. Then, it started doing the same sword dance that Cloud did after buying Maranatha. Cloud was amazed at its choreography. He seemed a lot more skilled and precise than he ever was. Then, as the reflection spun around, its hair turned black, its eyes had a deeper aquamarine glow, and its clothes became a Shinra uniform.

"No," Cloud said softly as he watched the image continue to dance. "That's not me. That's not who I am! That . . . that's not me!"

Then, the image changed again. It was the sword that transformed first. The reflection twirled it and threw it into the air, and the blade became slender and very, very long. The reflection turned its back again, and its hair became silver and also grew very long. It was getting more and more familiar...

Cloud grabbed his hair to make sure it didn't really change. "No! That's not me either! STOP! THAT'S NOT ME!"

The reflection caught the sword and slowly turned its head around, revealing Sephiroth's icy eyes and hateful smile. "Then who are you?" he said coldly, eyes and smile blazing in sinister flames.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Cloud pounded on the glass until it smashed.

"Hey, you break it, you bought it!" the owner shouted at him.

Cloud sighed. "There goes my GP," he thought.

--

"Well, that's as tight as I'm gonna get it. Man, this guy's wrists are big." Reno stood up. He had just tied Angeal's wrists behind a chair. They had the one-winged angel sitting at a table in a bare room, very cold and dim.

"Uh, Reno," Rude said discreetly, gesturing to his head.

"Huh?" Reno ran his hand through his hair and pulled out a white feather. "Oh," he said laughing. "I knew you shoulda done this. You wouldn't have had that problem!"

"Remember, let me do the talking. You–"

"I know. I get to do the fun stuff." He pulled out his stun gun with a mischievous grin.

"Don't get too trigger happy. Wait until my cue. Now, go ahead and wake him." He tossed Reno a Phoenix Down.

"Awwe, I can't do it the fun way? Alright, you're the boss."

He walked behind Angeal and dropped the Phoenix Down on him, which fell on the captive like orange dust. With a tired moan, Angeal wearily opened his eyes. "Where am I?"

"That's not important," Rude answered. "Let this be understood. You're our prisoner now, and you will do what we say."

Angeal only chuckled silently. "I'd like to see you try and make me."

Rude slammed his hands on the table. "Don't try to be funny. Here's how this works–we ask you questions, and you answer them."

"And if I refuse?" Angeal asked coldly.

Rude raised his eyebrows and looked up. "Reno?"

Reno leaned next to Angeal on the table. "You know, I'm kinda a connis-sewer of wings. I've had chicken wings, chocobo wings, turkey wings, I've even had buffalo wings (if you can believe that). But you know what? I've always wondered about angel wings. What do they taste like? Are they greasy, you know, finger-lickin' good?" He licked his fingertips in anticipation.

Angeal blinked and looked straight ahead. "If that's all you're after, go for it. I've always been unhappy with that wing. It's what makes me a monster."

Reno immediately tazed Angeal's wing for just a couple of seconds, and Angeal couldn't hide his pain. Reno then pulled his weapon back and grinned. "It sure smells good. Hey, Rude, why don't we just fry it up right here?"

"I'll talk," Angeal answered. "I won't promise I'll answer every question, but I'll tell you what I can."

"Very good," Rude nodded. He started to pace around the table. "Let's start with an easy one. You are Angeal, former SOLDIER First Class, correct?"

"Yes," Angeal nodded.

"You were also a subject of the Jenova project overseen by Doctors Hojo and Hollander, correct?"

"Yes."

"Is the same true for the former SOLDIER Sephiroth?"

"It is."

Rude stood still and looked Angeal in the eye. "Are you conspiring with Sephiroth?"

Unflinching, Angeal shook his head. "No."

Reno slipped out his weapon again and held it precariously over Angeal's wing, but Rude shook his head. He'd determined that Angeal was not lying. He stood upright and started flipping through a folder. "You know, there's an Angeal listed in the Shinra archive who matches your description, also SOLDIER First Class. But according to this, he died ten years ago. Are the records incorrect?"

"No."

"Then how do you explain your being here?"

Angeal gave a tired sigh. "I was jerked out of the Lifestream by one who was once my closest friend."

"And that was–?"

"Genesis. He was also a product of the Jenova project. He's conspiring with Sephiroth."

"Genesis." Rude flipped further in the file. "Ah, yes, here he is. Odd, he's also listed deceased. And I wouldn't be surprised if . . ." (He flipped further in the folder.) "Aha, as I suspected, so is Sephiroth."

"Well, I believe you've discovered that he has a habit of coming back."

"True. Sephiroth has reappeared, twice, threatening the planet both times. It causes one to wonder why you or this Genesis fellow didn't follow suit. It couldn't be because you were unable, even when you were in the Lifestream."

"I can't speak for Genesis, but Sephiroth has a different . . . understanding about his origins. I simply was not interested."

"Dr. Hojo spoke of an impulse within those created with Jenova cells which compelled them to gather together at one point in time in order to recreate . . . whatever that creature was. He called it the Reunion. Sephiroth evidently saw himself as the Moses of this event, guiding the Chosen Ones to the Promised Land. Are you saying you resisted this impulse?"

"I may not be entirely human, but I'm not an animal. Just because I may have had the impulse didn't mean I had to act on it."

"So, why is it that Sephiroth is here again? Is another Reunion about to take place?"

Angeal paused and closed his eyes. He finally answered, "Yes and no."

Reno leaned against the table, twirled the stun gun in his hands, and started whistling "Alouette."

"Can you give us a clearer answer than that?" Rude asked.

"Sephiroth is gathering followers and power, possibly with the same intentions in mind. This time, however, Jenova is not behind it."

"Who is?"

Again, Angeal paused. "Genesis was over the moon when he drew me out of the Lifestream. He told me that his favorite story was real. Every detail had been recreated. That's what he wanted me to be a part of. He thought he might even finally learn the missing ending to _Loveless."_

"That dumb play?" Reno sneered.

"That didn't really answer my question," Rude said carefully.

"Well, too bad. It's the best answer I have. I didn't join him for the same reason I wasn't part of Sephiroth's Reunion. I know, better than either one of them, what I would be giving up if I joined."

Rude looked at Reno as though to ask how to respond. Reno's lips twitched as he shrugged. He really wanted to get on to the meat and potatoes. So Rude again banged on the table and looked Angeal dead in the eye. "What do you know about Tseng?"

Angeal looked down. "I can't say."

"LIAR!" Reno took this cue to jab Angeal's wing with his tazer, which he held for about fifteen seconds. Angeal just grimaced and groaned inwardly, clenching both his fists. "I overheard you talk to Tseng, and I know you know his situation!"

Angeal stared at Rude defiantly. "I didn't say I didn't know. I said I can't say. There's a difference!"

"Explain yourself!"

"Tseng is my friend. He told me he has everything carefully planned out. I don't agree with the way he's doing things, thinking he should face his fear in the open, but I will not dishonor his decision by betraying his plan."

Reno groaned loudly. "It's not fair! He's our friend too, and we just want our friend back!"

Angeal glared at him. "You're not acting very friendly, are you? Haven't you betrayed him?"

Rude looked up. "Reno?" Reno jabbed Angeal with the stun gun again, this time holding it a little longer. "I ASK THE QUESTIONS HERE, UNDERSTAND?" Rude shouted over the jolting energy. Reno let go, even though he wondered if Rude was yelling at him too. "If you won't tell us about Tseng, tell us what you know about his accomplice."

"I can't tell you that either." Before Reno could zap the wing again, Angeal turned to him. "I DON'T KNOW WHO HE IS!" He looked back at Rude. "Tseng didn't mention him."

"You know nothing?"

"It is no concern of mine. I am merely a Watchman."

"What is their objective? Who are they working for?"

"Tseng is not tied to Shinra anymore. You just have to accept it. Tseng is working for Tseng. As for his objective, that's simple–to stop Sephiroth and his followers."

"How?"

"He can't do it himself, or perhaps he won't. Either way, he's doing it through Cloud."

"Why?"

Angeal shook his head. "I don't know. I don't even know who Cloud is! I never met him!"

"Speaking of Cloud," Rude picked up the Buster Sword he confiscated, "this sword that you were carrying is very much like a sword Cloud Strife once had in his possession."

"Before that, it belonged to another First Class SOLDIER, Zack Fair. And before that, it was mine. I'm sure if you checked Shinra's database, you'll find I'm telling the truth."

"Are you aware that Cloud Strife is now fighting with a much less superior sword? What happened to his former weapon?"

"All I know about that is he doesn't have that sword by accident. And 'much less superior'?" Angeal managed another chuckle. "You haven't listened to Tseng all that closely, have you?"

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"The sword in his possession is quite arguably the most powerful sword in the world. It just needs the right equipment."

"The blessing of the planet," Reno said quietly.

"What is it?" Rude asked.

"I don't know," Angeal answered.

Reno fingered his stun gun again, but Rude shook his head, sighing in frustration. "This is getting us nowhere," he whispered.

Reno finally stepped to the front of the table and looked at Angeal with concern. "Just give us this, man. Tell us, how did he . . . how did Tseng . . . die?" The word didn't come easily out of his mouth, but he couldn't think of another euphemism.

Angeal looked away.

Reno put the stun gun down on the table. "I'm just asking, man. We've been comin' up with nothin' but dead ends for a year. It's been eatin' us up. We just don't understand why he . . . he had to go."

"I'll put it this way," Angeal finally answered. "If you tied him down like this and zapped him every time he blinked, he'd probably say it was accidental suicide. In my opinion, it was murder."

This time, Reno slammed the table. "WHO DID IT?" When Angeal wouldn't answer, Reno grabbed Angeal's shirt and pulled him across the table, up to his face. "WHO KILLED HIM? I'LL MAKE 'EM PAY!"

Angeal just laughed deliriously. "Tseng was right. You are so much like children. I pity you."

"STOP IT! WHY WON'T ANYONE TALK TO ME DIRECTLY, FOR ONCE?" His face was just as red as his hair. He let Angeal go and turned away, hiding his flushed face and his tears, shivering hands stuffed frantically into his pockets.

"You'll find out soon enough," Angeal answered. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be going."

"Oh no, we're not done with you!" Rude replied threateningly, though futilely.

"Perhaps so," Angeal answered as he slipped one of his hands out of the bindings, "but I am done with you." He pointed at Rude's head, magic flowing out of his fingers.

--

After that strange vision, Cloud walked aimlessly from square to square. He could see why Cait Sith wasn't very impressed. Everything had changed so much. The games on Wonder Square were tougher and more expensive. Battle Square and Chocobo Square only let sponsored professionals participate. None of the new squares had the Ferris wheels and roller coasters that Yuffie was holding out hope for. They were mostly inns and stores with themes. Some of the new squares were a little interesting; they concerned other countries or periods of time that Cloud had never heard of before.

Inside, he started to worry that the thing he wanted, no NEEDED, to see the most at Golden Saucer no longer existed. Yet he found the tube that led to Round Square. He slid down and was immediately met by Yuffie and Biggs. "Oh, hi Cloud!" Yuffie said cheerfully. "Having fun?"

"Not really," he said with a shrug.

Biggs and Yuffie both moaned in a consoling way.

"How about you?"

"Oh, it's great! I'm having the time my life. Thanks for letting us come."

"Don't mention it. So, is the gondola still here?"

"Yeah, it's still here."

"It's a wonderful ride!" Biggs added.

"Probably the cheapest place here. Only costs one GP, but it's so worth it. The view is breathtaking."

"I'll say."

"And it's so romantic!" Yuffie seemed like she was trying to act mature, but she was clearly gushing like a teenager.

"Oh yeah," Biggs added with content.

Yuffie put her hands on her hips. "Hey, is Tifa around?"

"No, last I saw her, she was in Spira Square, trying out that Virtual Blitzball game."

"Oh, we haven't been there yet!" Biggs mentioned.

"What about Aerith?" Yuffie continued.

"I haven't seen her. Look, I just came here to–"

"Think, right?"

"Yeah, in a solitary, quiet place."

"Cloud, maybe it's all that thinking that's giving you headaches. You gotta do something spontaneous and fun! Something like . . . get Aerith, invite her on here, talk about how much you missed her when she was gone, and then do something really sweet. You know, just sweep her off her feet. "

That wasn't what he needed to hear because he knew that's what he should have done. "I'm . . . not good at that kind of thing."

"Oh, I bet you'd be surprised!" Yuffie giggled mischievously and playfully flicked her finger on his nose. Cloud backed away and blinked.

"Well, let's go see what's on Spira Square," Biggs said to her.

"Yeah, why not? See you later, Cloud!" Just as they were finishing up talking and going down the tube, Cloud noticed something about Biggs and Yuffie, something he hadn't seen either of them do before–they were holding hands. Cloud sighed, lonely.

"One please," Cloud said softly to the ticket person as he gave her a GP.

She handed him a ticket. "Here you go."

"You want some company?" a voice said behind him.

Cloud didn't turn around. "I need some time to think."

"You're remembering that night, aren't you? I think you need me to help you remember." Aerith stood in front of him and smiled. "Besides, I want to see it again too."

Cloud took a moment to think it over. He seriously doubted he was gonna sweep her off of her feet. "You know, maybe you're right. It would be good to have you with me. I just wonder if . . . you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all. I'm the one who took you here, aren't I?"

"Alright then, two," he said to the ticket person.

He let Aerith walk in, then he followed. "Enjoy your ride," the ticket lady said as she closed the door. Then the gondola gently started to raise into the air.

Cloud was quiet most of the time and tried to distract himself by looking at the brilliant, colored lights outside, the fireworks and everything. Aerith marveled at the scenery too. In his mind, though, he just couldn't stop thinking about that strange conversation they had on this same ride five years ago.

"Aerith . . . I'm sorry."

"Hmm? Didn't we talk about this before?"

"This is for something else. I . . . I should've said something."

"What do you mean?"

"When you told me that you were searching for me. I didn't understand then. You were reaching out to me, but I wanted to stay distant. I just wish I tried harder. If only I knew what was going to happen. We could have been closer, and . . . maybe things would be different."

Aerith was silent, and she looked down to avoid eye contact with Cloud.

Cloud chuckled. "'Shilly-shally, dilly-dally,' right?"

"No," she answered. "Cloud, it's ok. To be honest, when I said that, I wasn't thinking about you."

"You weren't?"

"I had in mind the other one I liked, the other ex-SOLDIER, first class."

"Zack?"

Aerith half-heartedly chuckled. "At times, I was starting to think he was a loser. I wrote him almost a hundred letters, and he never wrote back! I gave him a list of 23 things I liked, and he didn't even try to go through it. He just disappeared. Then, just after we left here the first time, I found out he was dead. I remember before I even met you, I felt someone I cared about return to the planet, but I couldn't tell who it was. I thought I'd never see him again. That night, I was just wondering the whole time if you were anything like him at all."

"I see. Well, I am. I didn't find out until after I lost you. I might be more like Zack than Cloud."

"I know. He told me about it, how he met you while in SOLDIER."

"I don't know why I forgot him."

"I can see some of him in you."

He looked out the window, Aerith. "You know . . . I'm still searching for me too. Who . . . am I, Aerith?"

"I don't really know. I didn't get a chance to meet you. But I know you are a kindhearted, selfless person. You're a friend, a great one."

"But is that me or Zack? I just feel like I'm so . . . empty."

"That's good, actually."

"It is?"

"You realize that you're not complete. You can always be better. Don't worry, the planet's not done with you yet, and the planet knows who you are."

Cloud sighed and lowered his head.

"But Cloud, you're not as empty as you think. Zack is a wonder person to imitate. If it makes you feel any better, you're more like Zack than Sephiroth."

He didn't know how she knew about that, but Cloud smiled and nodded. "That does make me feel better."

Aerith suddenly gasped. "Oh! What happened to your hands?"

Cloud looked down and saw that his gloves were all scratched up, and the exposed flesh was bleeding. He didn't even notice previously. They hurt a little bit since he broke that glass.

"Here, let me see." She held both of his hands, and he could feel relieving, healing power channel into them. The pain gradually vanished, as did the blood and even the tears in his gloves.

"Hey, you did that without materia!"

"Oh, yes, you're right. Perhaps it's the magic I got from the Lifestream."

"Aerith, is the Great Wish . . . real?"

She gave him a look of amazement. "Of course, it is. Without it, there would be no hope. It's not quite the way people think it is, though. The Lifestream moves in mysterious ways."

"What do you mean?"

"It's not just one wish and not always after you die. Sometimes, you even get a wish you didn't ask for, something you didn't know that you needed. I don't know. Even I don't understand it." She smiled to console him. Cloud didn't really feel consoled, but he smiled back.

As they were getting off, Cloud took Aerith's hand. "Thanks for coming with me."

"It's no problem. You just looked so sad and alone. You looked like you needed a friend."

"I didn't . . . just mean now."

Aerith smiled. "I know."

--

It was cold.

Reno muttered without opening his eyes, "Elena, could you close the window? It's getting drafty."

Nothing changed.

"Rude, turn down the air."

It was still freezing.

"Oh no, we're not flying again, are we, Tseng?"

Only then did Reno open his groggy eyes. He was flying, but he wasn't in the helicopter! He saw clouds and stars and a bright, full moon right in front of him. He looked down and saw the earth, which appeared so tiny. Reno couldn't stop himself from shrieking, and he wasn't sure why. "What's going on?"

For the first time, he could hear a very loud flapping noise. He got a glimpse of a white wing. He was numb to it before, but now he could feel that someone was there, holding him, carrying him. His eyes were still blurry with sleep, and his head felt very foggy, but he looked up. "Who are you?" he asked weakly.

The only answer he got was a touch on the forehead. His head fell backward, and he went back to sleep.

--

The rest of the park had been as dismal as the start had been. But walking through it had been somewhat calming to Cloud's tumultuous feelings and his seemingly never-ending search for identity. The sun drew its rays in, reminding him of the rest of the journey that would start soon.

At the end of the day, as planned, everybody met at the main Station. Yuffie tried to persuade Cloud for them to stay at the inn on Magic Square, but he didn't think that would be fair to the people in the group who decided to stay in Corel. So they went back down and registered at the Corel Inn. Cloud was sure he wouldn't get any sleep, but as full and disturbed as his mind was, sleep overtook him.

He could hear that breathing again. It was another dream, in the darkness. The same rectangular structure, the same man twisting in pain, the same woman standing at his head stroking his hair, but Genesis was gone.

"Do you understand why you must suffer?" the woman said softly. "The power is too much for you to bear. I have increased the strength of the spell so that you can become glorious beyond all measure, but 'tis too great for you to keep it all. You must share your gift, or it will consume you. You will share, will you? You will share with your friends . . . and all your family?" Once more, she leaned over as though to catch a whisper. "Yes . . . even he. Of course, he will take it not. Then you are free to destroy his heart and steal his strength. But what is a Reunion if every guest receives naught a gift?"

Cloud couldn't believe it. Was she talking about him?

"No, it shall weaken you not. 'Tis but a mite of the burden that you must pass on."

"Just a drop of its sweet nectar upon our tongues is all we ask," another voice said. Genesis came toward her, staff in hand.

"You are ready to perform the summoning?"

"I am," he replied with a bow.

"And the Meddler?"

"I will take care of him easily."

"_Meddler? Who's that?" _Cloud thought.

"You have failed me twice. I will not tolerate failure again. You know the consequence if you come here alone once more."

"I give you my word, this time I shall not return empty."

"Then go without delay. Our warrior misses his family."

"With pleasure." He leapt up into the air, flew high above the clouds. Cloud felt like he was following him in the air as Genesis flew west. Finally, he stopped before the coast of an island, where the Lifestream gleamed brightly. He pointed his staff toward the glowing water. "In the name of Sanzamoura, I call thee out of the Lifestream! Come forth, children of Jenova!" A beam of light came from the staff and projected into the water.

Then, Cloud could hear a distant, rumbling sound. He thought for a moment that it was thunder, but it got louder and louder. Then, he watched as a motorcycle leapt out of the waters and landed on the ground. The young rider threw his silver-haired head back and screamed, "WOOOOOOOO!" He was shortly joined by two other silver-haired motorcyclists, all with catlike eyes and devilish grins. It couldn't be possible, but they were all there–Loz, Yazzoo, and Kadaj. "HERE WE COME, READY OR NOT!"


	10. The Mad Remnant

Chapter 10: The Mad Remnant

Then Cloud woke up and once again struggled with a headache. How could it be? He thought Kadaj and Sephiroth were really one and the same. If Sephiroth was already back, how could Kadaj and his brothers return? Well, there was only one way to find out–he had to see for himself.

--

Aerith had a different dream. She also saw Kadaj and his brother arise out of the Lifestream, but then she saw someone chasing them–in the air! It was someone flying so fast beside the motorcycles. All Aerith could really tell about him was that he had one white wing.

"Come to play?" Kadaj asked him. He took out his gun and fired at the specter, but the creature drew a massive sword and deflected the bullets. Then he struck at the leader, but Kadaj swerved out of the way.

"Nothing will keep us away!" Yazoo declared, but the specter struck at him too. He successfully knocked the young man off his bike. Then, he punctured Loz's tires, whose motorcycle toppled over in a blaze.

"No!" Genesis flew back and shot a fire spell. "I will not let you stop me!" The white-winged angel quickly retaliated, and they wrestled in the air.

Aerith couldn't clearly see what happened next. She heard bullet fire and scraping metal. Then, Kadaj was backing himself into a tombstone as a rain of white, gray, and black feathers gently descended on him. Yazoo and Loz crawled up to him, both looking very wounded. "Sorry . . . we . . . couldn't make it," Loz said weakly.

Yazzoo added, gasping for air, "Send . . . Auntie . . . our . . . lo–"

Both of them fell silent and still. A dark shadow fell on Kadaj, who was shakily pointing his gun upward. "Are you going to do the same to me?"

The specter didn't speak. It simply reached out its hand and touched Kadaj's forehead. Then, it leapt up and flew away. Kadaj stared up into the heavens and watched whatever it was disappear.

And then, a smile came to his lips. He gave a couple of gasping, silent laughs. Then, his laughter grew louder into a chuckle. "Heh heh heh heh heh." And then, it even grew louder. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

--

Both Cloud and Aerith were troubled by their dreams, but they didn't speak much of it. Cloud was a little bit more vigilant, searching anywhere for traces of the treacherous brothers. Aerith was just wondering to herself where on the last journey did she see a graveyard.

The Lifestream was flowing south. Everybody just followed it with little incident, with the exception of a few monster battles. It crossed over a lake, and they just waded through the shallowest waters. They were about to go follow the Lifestream when it curved toward the east, when Aerith suddenly stood still.

"Gongaga!"

Everyone turned and looked at her. "What?" Tifa asked.

"That's where I saw a graveyard! That's where he'd be!" She started running in the opposite direction.

"Hey, you're goin' the wrong way!" Yuffie yelled at her.

Cloud ran up and joined her. "What's going on?"

"Did you dream last night?"

"Yeah."

"About Genesis and . . . ?"

"Sephiroth, and that witch, and . . . Genesis called out of the Lifestream–"

"I thought so. I have a hunch we'll be able to find them in Gongaga."

"Alright. We'll try it." He called to the rest of the group, "We're going to Gongaga, everybody!"

So, everybody followed, though no one was sure why. As they started down the paths on the fringe of the city, Yuffie started talking to pass the time. "So, where do you think the Lifestream is going, anyway?"

"It's goin' east, of course," Cid answered.

"Yeah, but what's east of here?"

"Well, a couple of islands, Mideel, Midgar–"

"How could it be going to Midgar? It started from Midgar, remem–?"

"Listen," Cloud interrupted, holding up his hand in a "stop" gesture. "It's not just me, is it? Do you hear that?"

Everybody was quiet. In the distance, they could hear laughter. It wasn't evil laughter, but the more they listened, the more intense it got.

"What's so funny?" Jessie mumbled.

"Man, wish I got the joke," Biggs mumbled.

"Shh!" Cloud hissed. He listened even closer. "I know that voice." He ran toward the sound, and everyone followed.

They walked down the path until they came to (oddly enough) the Gongaga graveyard. There they found a teenage boy with silver shoulder-length hair, wearing a black leather outfit. He was sitting in front of a tombstone, hugging his knees, and rocking with laughter. As Cloud came closer, he saw that the boy was not wearing shoes and his clothes looked torn and tattered. As he confronted the young man, Cloud drew Maranatha and pointed it straight at the teenager's face.

"Kadaj!"

The boy raised his head. His face looked a lot paler than usual. His eyes were bloodshot and had circles around them. There was drool all over his face and the front of his jacket. "Big Brother!" he said in a surprised voice. "Of course, you're going to see her too, aren't you? I knew you could count on you!" Then he sat up straight and started poking Cloud's leg with his finger while saying, "One, two, three . . ."

Cloud backed away. "What are you doing?"

"Counting on you! Get it? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

"What's going on?"

"It's a Confusion spell, a really strong one. How long have you been like this?" Aerith asked gently.

Kadaj looked at her and replied, "Oh, it couldn't be longer than three minutes. Or is it three hours? Three days? Three weeks? Three months? Three years? Three decades? Ha ha ha ha ha! Three centuries! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! THREE MILLENNIA! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Will you cut that out?" Cloud demanded.

"I wish I could, ha ha ha ha ha! I ache all over, but I can't cry! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

"You're not missing anything," Vincent said morosely.

"Give him a break, man," Wedge mumbled to Cloud. "Looks like the kid blew a gasket or two."

Cloud nodded. He was probably right; the Confusion spell made the former remnant of Sephiroth crazy. Still, he might be useful for information. "Do you know what's going on with the Lifestream? Do you know what Sephiroth is doing?"

"Of course, Big Brother! I know it all! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Do you not know? Did she not tell you? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Who? Tell me! Tell me everything!" Cloud ordered as he pushed his sword closer to Kadaj's face.

"We had it wrong all these years, Big Brother. We thought the power in the Reunion lies in the living, in Mother's mimetic legacy. That was our mistake! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! That's why the Reunion has always failed! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! But now, Auntie has shown us the truth, and we won't make the same mistake again. The power of the Reunion is not in the living." He suddenly snapped his head up, and his expression turned fierce. "THE POWER OF THE REUNION IS IN THE DEAD!"

Aerith gasped as Kadaj threw his head back and continued to laugh. "What does that even mean?"

"Think about it, Big Brother. The Lifestream is the planet's blood, its life, its soul. Without it, the planet will DIE! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Then, when the planet is dead, Sephiroth will use it to create a new calamity of the skies! That's not all, though. With the souls of the dead within him, he will be immortal! He will be a GOD! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Sephiroth will become one with the planet's soul, and he will finally be reunited with his mother FOREVER! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! So, you see how this is the perfect Reunion? I suppose in the end, we are the jokers. We just pulled a Shin-ra! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Get it? Pulled a Shinra?" He pointed to his leg and laughed again, "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Is that what he's been laughing about?" Yuffie muttered. "That's a terrible joke."

Cloud reached down and grabbed Kadaj by the collar. He immediately wished he didn't because he forgot the clothes were all slimy with drool, and now it was all over Cloud's glove. "If you're so psyched about the Reunion, why did you escape from the Lifestream?" He smirked and said in a sarcastic tone, "Don't you want to help Sephiroth get stronger? Especially after he left you for dead?"

"He gave me a blessing when I died, a blessing you never knew, did you? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Besides, he might be gracious to us. No one, not even the great Sephiroth, could ever hope to absorb the whole Lifestream. But he'll be generous. Auntie promised us that he would share some of his glory with us! Then we could go with him to see Mother! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Who knows, Big Brother? Maybe Auntie will let him share some with you, if you ask nicely! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

"I DON'T HAVE AN AUNT!"

"Of course you do, Big Brother! You just don't know it yet. But you'll meet Auntie Sanzamoura soon enough! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! We didn't know her either, but then she summoned Sephiroth and Uncle Genesis, and then last night Auntie took me and my brothers from the Lifestream so that we could share in the fun. We were never ones to miss a party, you know? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

"So, where are your brothers?" Cloud asked in a low tone. Kadaj suddenly stopped laughing and looked at Cloud in fear. Cloud pulled him in closer. "You heard me. Where are Yazzoo and Loz?"

"The war in Heaven," Kadaj answered weakly.

Cloud dropped him. "What are you talking about?"

"I saw the heavens open, and the angels came out of the sky with blazing swords. They fought each other, and they sent my brothers back to the Lifestream. I saw it all. They spared me," he starting laughing again, but he looked like he was trying to repress it, "but they left upon me this curse! I'm telling the truth! HERE'S THE PROOF!" He held out a handful of feathers–gray, white, and black.

Suddenly it clicked. Cloud seized Kadaj again and held him high above his head. "You fool! Those weren't angels! One of them is the thief who stole my sword! Where did he go? Tell me!"

Kadaj continued laughing, even louder, but then he reached out and grabbed Cloud's shoulder. "Don't leave me, Big Brother! DON'T LEAVE ME! Let's go see her together!"

"WHERE DID HE GO, KADAJ?"

But Kadaj laughed harder. "I'M SCARED, BIG BROTHER! They'll come for me! THEY'LL COME FOR YOU! YOU'RE NEXT!!"

"Tell me where Sephiroth is!"

The laughter started turning to screams, almost. Kadaj started foaming, even bleeding at the mouth.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Cloud said through gritted teeth, but Kadaj wouldn't stop. Cloud grabbed Maranatha tightly in his other hand and raised it high. "I'LL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO LAUGH ABOUT!"

Then, quite unexpectedly, the boy's laughter died down. Kadaj closed his eyes, and his head fell limp on his chest. Cloud dropped him again, and the young man collapsed on the ground into a fetal position.

"I cast Sleep on him," Aerith explained. "Perhaps now, he can rest, and he won't be as sore when he wakes up." It seemed unlikely, though. Kadaj was still shaking as though he was laughing in his sleep.

"What did you do that for?" Cloud asked, annoyed.

"It was obvious he wasn't going to tell us anything, and he really looked like he needed to sleep. I mean, he was just getting worse and worse."

"Well, wouldn't it have been better if we just sent him back to the Lifestream?"

"But if we did that, he would be adding strength to Sephiroth."

"It's still not good that he's out. He's just another one of our problems."

"Which is why this is probably the best thing we could do."

"Well, what should we do with him?"

"Uh, maybe we should take him with us, like he was asking," Jessie meekly suggested.

"NO WAY!" almost everybody else said in unison.

"This was the guy who brought Sephiroth back last time. I told you about him, remember?" Cloud explained.

"Oh, yeah," Jessie answered, embarrassed.

Cloud sighed. "I still don't know how this is possible. I thought he was Sephiroth, and Sephiroth was him."

"Not exactly," Aerith said. "I could feel Kadaj and his brothers in the Lifestream, too. You just said it. Sephiroth heartlessly left him to die." She looked at Kadaj sympathetically. "I know he might be frightening, but . . . he's just a kid. He wasn't the same in the Lifestream. He became different overtime."

"Looks like he's back to his old self now."

"Maybe Sephiroth is manipulating him, like he did you," Tifa suggested.

"I guess it could be." He didn't like that theory, though. If Sephiroth was manipulating Kadaj, it will only be a matter of time . . . in fact, that's probably the whole reason he's been having all these strange dreams and visions.

"Maybe we should just drop him off at the inn," Aerith suggested.

"Yeah." Cloud picked him up and carried him to the small building nearby. Unfortunately, the innkeeper just shook her head.

"Sorry, all our beds are full. If you wait an hour or two, I'm sure they'll start waking up."

"Uh, that's OK. Thank you," he answered. He went back out and put him on the ground where they found him. "I'm sure he'll be safe there." He paused. "'Auntie?' Did Jenova have a sister?"

"How can that be possible?" Aerith shrugged. "She wasn't even human, was she?"

"Lucretia did," Vincent said softly.

Cloud stared at Vincent. "Lucretia? Sephiroth's earthly mother? Was her name Sanza . . . ?"

Vincent shook his head. "I don't know. I never met her."

"Sanzamoura. There's something about that name," Aerith mumbled.

"Was she in the Lifestream?" Cloud asked.

"No, but . . . I just feel like . . . I should know something."

"Mother . . . aunt . . . brother . . . Sephiroth and his folks are all stuck on kinship, aren't they?" Cid thought out loud.

"Most dysfunctional family in history," Tifa muttered.

"You got that right," Cloud nodded. "I guess there's not much else to see here. Let's move on." But as soon as he got out of the city limits, he sighed again.

"What's the matter?" Tifa asked.

"My brain just feels so full. I've got so many questions."

"Grandpa always has answers when I have questions," Red XIII offered.

"Hmmm. You're right. Why don't we go see Bugenhagen? To Cosmo Canyon!" Everybody nodded and followed.

--

Reno turned over and groaned. He was in that state between sleep and awake. He had a beautiful, and yet somehow terrifying dream, that he was flying. He didn't want to open his eyes yet, just let it run through his head . . . for another five minutes. Let him lavish in the comfy, warm blankets and the snugly pillow.

Pillow?

He didn't remember a pillow. Not one this snugly, anyway.

And the blankets usually aren't this warm.

The bed is so soft! Not like the hard cot on the helicopter.

He blinked open one eye, just a tiny bit, just enough to get one ray of light in. The blinking, faint picture that he saw for a split second through his eyelashes didn't look familiar. So his eyes rebelled against his groggy body and opened up.

"Where am I?" he said sleepily. He sat up in his bed to see a small, quaint room. There was another bed, empty and made. A pole in the middle of the room led to downstairs. Reno yawned and stretched. He saw a sink and splashed some cold water on his face to make him wake up a little more. Then he looked at the mirror and started shaking his bed-head. "Huh?" As his fingers ran through his hair, he felt something move. He caught it in between his fingers and pulled it out–a white feather. "Where'd that come from? The pillow?" He didn't think pillows had feathers that big. Unless . . . maybe that dream was true. No wait, there was something else about feathers, something that happened yesterday. Oh, he couldn't remember.

He slid down the pole. Rude was already downstairs talking to someone on his cell phone. "30 gil? That's it?! You've got to be kidding! . . . Oh, 30,000. That's more like it. Alright, I'll keep you posted." He hung up. "Well, you're finally awake," he said turning to Reno.

"Rude, where are we?" Reno asked.

"Gongaga."

"Please Rude, now's not the time to insult my intelligence. Where are we?"

"Gongaga."

"Will you cut it out with the baby talk!"

"We are in Gongaga Village."

"Oh, yeah. How'd we get here?"

"I don't know, and I don't care."

"Did we fly?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Reno, we don't have the chopper!"

"Well, it's weird. I had this dream that I was flying, and I wasn't in the chopper. I felt like I was being carried . . . by an angel. And look what I found in my hair this morning." He showed him the feather.

"You got that caught in your hair yesterday when you were restraining Angeal, remember?"

"Oh, that's what it was! Memories from yesterday just feel kinda fuzzy to me. I don't know why."

"Well, I remember it all. It was a bust."

"What, you don't trust him?"

"No, I don't. I shoulda known. He's conspiring with Tseng, so of course he was going to portray Tseng in the most glowing light."

"Well, what do we do now?"

"Round up the usual suspects."

"And who are the usual suspects?"

"I don't know. It's an expression. We'll question anybody who looks suspicious."

"Well, first things first." Reno approached the desk. "Ma'am, I had a wonderful sleep last night. So, what do I owe you?"

"Oh, don't worry about it," the innkeeper said, shaking her head. "Someone already paid for both of you."

"You kidding? Who's that?"

"Didn't say. It looked like a couple of Shinra SOLDIERs. You were both out like a light when they brought you in. I wondered if they were going to stay too, but they said they had an extremely important assignment."

"What did they look like?" Rude asked.

"They looked very similar. I couldn't really tell any distinct features because it was almost midnight, and the lighting wasn't all that great."

"Can't I at least give you a tip?" Reno offered.

"No, they took care of everything. I'm just glad you had a satisfying sleep."

"Well, thanks." Rude and Reno walked out of the building.

"That was suspicious," Rude said darkly.

"Ohh, everything's suspicious to you! Rude, we got a free night's stay at a quality inn. Those things usually run 100 gil a bed! I'm not complaining! Why are you?"

"Tseng might have sent them. He could be trying to buy us off."

"Hey . . . wait, what's that?" Reno noticed a strange lump on top of a grave in the graveyard. He came closer and recognized the silver-haired, young warrior–Kadaj. "Well, lookie here." Reno prodded Kadaj with his shoe. The remnant just turned over. "Awwwwe, like a baby!" Reno said in exaggerated baby talk.

Kadaj laughed in his sleep again, and Reno could see the foam and blood around his lips.

"Make that a baby with rabies," Reno said in his normal tone. "Hey, he could be one of our 'usual suspects.'"

"Think there's stuff he can tell us?" Rude asked.

"That's not such a bad idea." Reno got out his stun gun and shocked Kadaj hard. The teenager opened his eyes with a shriek. Reno leaned down at him with a sneer across his face. "Wakie, wakie, eggs and bacie!"

Of course, the first thing Kadaj did was laugh. "Look at you, clown head!"

Reno dropped his smile. "Excuse me?"

"Big red wig, like a clown!"

"OK, kid, you're treading dangerous waters here. Rule #1–Never insult a Turk!"

"Turk? Like turkey! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" He pointed up to Rude. "He even looks like a bald turkey!"

Reno started powering up his weapon. "I think I might enjoy this a little too much."

"Revenge is sweet," Rude added softly.

"Mmm-hmm, sweet as candy." But the next moment, Kadaj was on his feet, pointing his gun at Reno. "Hey, you're able to fight in this state?"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Kadaj replied. "I'm not afraid of you! You're not angels!"

The Turks started circling the boy, like vultures in alternating directions. "You know what?" Reno replied. "That's true. And that's the very reason most SANE people are really afraid of us!"

"If you're not scared, you should be," Rude adding threateningly, putting his fists up.

"You silly turkeys!" Kadaj replied dangerously, despite his laughter, continuing his reference to ridiculous land birds and Thanksgiving entrees. "You forget who I am. I'll be more than happy to remind you!"

Even with that threat, it was obvious that Kadaj wasn't at his full strength. His biggest asset was that he was quick on his feet, easily evading both Rude and Reno's attacks. His gunfire stung, but his aim was too off to make critical hits. Reno figured it wasn't as bad because he was fighting by himself.

"So, what happened to your motorcycle?" Reno asked mockingly. "Better yet, where are your brothers?"

"Ask the worms. They know where Loz is," Kadaj answered as he shot back. "And if you talk to the maggots, they might tell you what happened to Yazoo." He parried again. "And the next time you pick up some materia, hold it up to the light and look real close, you just might see my motorcycle."

"Good grief, IS EVERYBODY TALKING IN RIDDLES, NOW?!"

"Reno!" Rude called, who was standing back in the bushes. Reno ran back to him. Rude pushed back the branches and revealed the remains of three burned bikes and two silver-haired corpses.

"Oh," Reno gasped.

At that second, Kadaj hit them hard causing them to fall on their backs. Reno's stun gun rolled out of his hands and tumbled downhill. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! That was stupid, turning your backs on an enemy! You turkeys should know better!" He pointed his gun straight at Reno's forehead.

Reno found himself shaking as he looked down the barrel of Kadaj's gun. He shut his eyes tight. Praying . . . praying . . . for what? He didn't really know. Or was he just waiting for the inevitable–

"Bang!"

Kadaj laughed again. So, instead of firing he pulled an old fake out.

"What kind of game are you playing?" Reno asked. "Just get it over with!"

"Oh, I'm not going to kill you. I'm sending you back with a message to your boss, the Music Man."

"Music Man?"

"Well, his name is Song, isn't it? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

"TSENG!" Reno and Rude said together.

"Yeah, whatever. Tell him I said thanks. If it wasn't for him, none of this would be possible."

"None of what?" Rude demanded.

"The Lifestream's reversal. Sephioroth's return to glory. The Reunion! Song's responsible for it all!"

Reno couldn't believe his ears as Kadaj laughed long and hard. Rude slowly turned his head and said softly, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Probably not, but I bet you're thinking . . . Tseng's accomplice? I never woulda guessed."

"Let's get him!"

"Uh, Rude, in case you haven't noticed, I'm unarmed and looking down the barrel of a loaded gun of a crazy man–"

Rude stood up and punched Kadaj in the face. Kadaj tried to retaliate, but Rude quickly knocked the gun out of his hand, then punched the boy until he was out cold. Quick and effective.

"Whoa. Why didn't you just do that when we first met him?"

"I had more motivation," Rude grunted.

They worked together to bind the boy hand and foot. "OK, we got him. Now, how are we gonna take him back to Tseng?"

"Good question," Rude answered. "We don't have the chopper, so . . ."

"We have to walk?" Reno whined, though hilariously fearful.

Rude stepped to the end of the path. "No," he answered. He turned sideways and started waving his arms. A pickup truck stopped right in front of him. The driver rolled down the window with an amused, questioning look. "Sir, we must commandeer your vehicle. Shinra business."

"Naw, you don't need to comm'ndeer nothin', Sonny. I's jes fixin' to offer y'all a ride," the trucker replied with a smile.

Rude gestured over to Reno, who picked up Kadaj and put him in the truck bed. Then the Turks got into the front seat. The trucker looked like a very friendly fellow with a warm smile. He wore a baseball cap, a flannel jacket, and jeans. "So, whar ya'll headed?"

Rude flipped open his phone, picked up Tseng's PHS signal, and deciphered the coordinates. "Looks like the Corel mountains."

"He's still up there?" Reno asked. "I thought they lef–"

"Shh!" Rude quickly hissed.

"Well, that ain't far," the trucker said. "We'll get you boys down thar by dinnertime."

"And where were you going?"

"Oh, I's jes' finishin' up my shift. I's headin' back up to the holler, help ole Bill warsh the chocobos. But this ain't no big thang. I reckon I'll get myself back there by sunset. 'Pends on which way the drop falls."

"What's this guy talkin' about?" Reno whispered to Rude. Rude shrugged.

The trucker looked over at them. "Y'all are dressed real nice."

"Thank you," Rude answered solemnly.

"Y'all goin' to a weddin' or a funeral?" He gave a big, throaty laugh.

Reno examined the trucker, especially at his bright eyes. "You look familiar. Have we met?"

"No sir, not to my recollection. 'Cept . . . weren't you boys over in Nibelheim a while bayck?"

Reno hesitated to answer, since that work was supposed to be top secret. "Uhhhhhhh . . ."

"Yeah, y'all were workin' in the caves in Mt. Nibel, weren't cha? Think I remember seein' ya. I was doin' an errand, makin' a delivery from the Chocobo Raynch. While I's in the neighborhood, I hayppened to mosey on bayck thar. Saw somethin' real funny."

"What's that?" Rude asked.

"Well, I saw this here fella with long, blayck hair hangin' dayown. He kinda looked like a girl, but he was dressed jes like y'all. I could see him walkin' through some of the tunnels ahead of me. Aynd I saw him pick somethin' up. Couldn't see what it was. All the sudden, there was this puff of white smoke, and this wild-haired woman was hoverin' above him. I knew it was a haint!"

"A haint?" Reno repeated.

"You know, like a ghost, or a witch. She's jes floatin' over him, laughin' all evil. Aynd I heard her say something. Couldn't quite hear what it was, but it sounded like an evil curse. Aynd he fell down aynd gave up the ghost, bless his heart."

Reno's jaw dropped. Was he just confessing that he saw Tseng's death? "Well, why didn't you do anything?"

"Warn't anything to be done, Sonny."

"You shoulda at least told us!" Rude scolded.

"Well, I was scared! I didn't want no haint come down aynd call a curse 'pon me! Sure 'nough, I rayn outta that cave fayster thayn a jayckraybbit. Never did somethin' thayt hairbrained again."

Reno couldn't believe it. After all this time, that's what happened. But what does that have to do with Sephiroth? The kid must be lying, right? Well, if he is, how could he be Tseng's accomplice? Rude was silent and just looked at the driver suspiciously.

--

_There's something back there. I'm sure of it. All I have been told about this cave is that it's the former home of the last tribe of the wastrels. It hasn't been opened since the Gi war, which killed all of them except the young cub that the old man has adopted. But the readings can't lie. The spiritual energy is very strong. I'm sure that there was something else living there, perhaps thousands of years before the wastrels._

"Yes, but what?" Tseng said aloud. He had been reading from Noam's journal all afternoon, looking for some clue, while Elena was searching in the cave. She'd been calling him every five minutes.

--

"Well, I reckon this here's your stop!" the trucker said.

"Yeah, thanks for the lift!" Reno called back as he walked out. He went back to get Kadaj.

"Need some help?"

"No, we got it," Reno answered as he picked the boy up. Kadaj groaned. It looked like he was returning to consciousness.

"Awwwe, poor kid. Is he gonna be alright?"

"He'll be fine," Rude answered quietly.

"Well, ya'll take care of yourselves, ya hear?" The trucker tipped his hat, got in his truck, and drove off.

"Nice guy," Reno said. "It just still bugs me that he looks so familiar."

"He's not who he claimed he was. He can't be," Rude said, shaking his head.

--

_I have found evidence of more than one Ancient civilization. There was the Cetra who were once scattered around the planet and later congregated at what they called the Knowlespole, which we refer to as the northern region. I have found much myths and evidence for their existence. But just today, I learned why they had to go to the Knowlespole. They were at war with another group of powerful people known as–_

"The jig is up, man!" Reno accused.

Tseng looked up at them calmly. "Excuse me?"

"We found your accomplice," Rude said. "It's just as I suspected. He says you're guilty of everything, including Sephiroth's return."

"And we just met a witness that confirmed what he said . . . sorta," Reno added

"You got the wrong guy," Tseng replied casually.

"Likely story," Rude scoffed. "Bring him in, Reno."

Reno walked out, then dragged in Kadaj, still laughing hysterically. He looked up at Tseng. "Oh, so there you are, Music Man! Sing us a song, Song!" he said with laughter.

Tseng only took a few steps toward the boy and snapped his fingers in front of Kadaj's face. Kadaj suddenly stopped laughing and looked at him with surprise.

"Seriously, where did you learn to do that?" Reno asked.

"Do you really think I didn't pick up anything from the Lifestream?" Tseng replied. "Sorry boys, but you couldn't be more wrong."

"Of course, you're saying that, but what proof do you have?" Rude said. "What about his accusations? Are they true?"

Tseng looked down in remorse and then turned away. "There is . . . some truth to them."

--

The truck didn't go too far. In fact, as soon as the Turks were out of sight, it drove off the road and came to a stop. The truck driver quickly took off his hat and shook out his strawberry locks. He smiled at himself in the rearview mirror as he said, in a very un-Southern voice, "And now, our little play shall begin."

--

Rude took the moment to move Kadaj back to a holding cell, but Reno continued to stand there, just fuming. "Tseng, how could you? That boy nearly killed you! He nearly killed all of us!"

"I did not work with him. Still . . . I cannot deny what he said."

Reno clenched his fist so hard he was cutting off the circulation. The frustration was just building inside his heart, building in a magnificent crescendo. Finally, he released it all into one angry, grunting scream. He ran toward Tseng, grabbed his shoulder, and spun him around. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS! I can't take any more of all these secrets and riddles and games. What has gotten into you?! Tseng, you were a guy who always meant what he said and said what he meant. That's what I liked about you! I could always trust you! Now . . . you're not even the same person anymore!" He tried to hold himself back, but he even started to cry in pure frustration. "And I've tried to be good-natured about it, but I can't hide behind that mask anymore! All I wanna know is what happened! What happened to you? Why are you so different? And for goodness sake, if you're responsible for bringing back Sephiroth, JUST SAY SO! Just get it out in the open, just get it over with."

Tseng's expression never changed. He was unperturbed, hardly batting an eyelid as he calmly answered, "Reno, you are familiar with the legendary summon materia the Knights of the Round, are you? Have you ever heard the stories behind that summon, of the Holy Grail?"

"Ahh," Reno sighed impatiently, turning away. Here he just poured his heart out, and it was like Tseng didn't hear a word. This was really tiring him out.

"The legend goes that those knights searched around the world for a rare cup, something like a wine goblet. It was said that this cup had Holy magic that could heal any disease. Only one of those knights was able to find it, Sir Gallahad, and it was only because he had a pure heart and an innocent soul. But upon seeing the grail in all its splendor, Gallahad was so overcome by joy and elated by its glory that he gave up his life."

Reno shook his head. "Tseng, I'm not five years old anymore! I'm not interested in fairy tales and stories! Get to the stupid point!"

Tseng paused and stared down at his hands. Then he whispered, "I cannot claim to be Gallahad. My hands are stained with blood, and my heart is not pure. Yet . . . I found the Holy Grail, and it changed everything." He looked up at Reno. "That's what happened."

He didn't say anything about a "haint" or Sephiroth. What did it all mean? It was so stupid! Or was it that he just didn't get it? But of course he didn't get it, no one ever told him what to get! "So you're saying we lost you because of some . . . cup? In Nibelheim?!"

This time, Tseng shook his head and sighed in frustration. "Reno, you're too simpleminded. Unless you learn to mature a little, you'll never understand."

Reno was beside himself. No one's told him that before! And lived to tell about it at least, certainly none of the Turks.

"Let the boy go. He's suffered enough. His brothers are both dead."

"How did you know?"

"Because Angeal told me he killed them." Tseng turned back to his notes and didn't say another word.

Reno's heart suddenly jumped into his throat. Angeal was here? What else did he tell him?

--

When Rude pushed him into the cell, Kadaj fell on his side. The Music Man's strange Silence spell wore off in a few minutes, and then Kadaj began shaking with uncontrollable laughter once more. Will it ever stop? He never knew such pain! He just wanted to die, to be with his brothers again. There was no pain in the Lifestream, only peace. But if he was with them, he'll miss the Reunion! He'll miss his chance at glory!

He heard the clown say, "OK, kid let's–" And then he was quiet. Everything was quiet.

Kadaj pushed himself up. The turkeys were standing so still, but they looked like they were walking. That was funny! Kadaj laughed again, but then he saw something that made him stop laughing, an angel with a gray wing standing at his door. Kadaj backed into the wall with a frightened expression on his face.

"Fear not, son of Jenova," the angel said in a soothing, gentle voice. "It is for you I have come."

The angel waved his stick, and the cell door opened by itself. Kadaj slowly came closer to him. "You're–?"

"You didn't think I would forsake you, did you, Kadaj?"

"No," Kadaj answered in a trembling voice.

The gray-winged angel smiled and stretched forth his hand. "Come," he whispered.

Kadaj, frightened and confused, yet hopeful, reached out to him.

--

"–get you out of here," Reno called out.

"Get him out? We just put him in!" Rude yelled back.

"Well, why should we keep him? He's not as big a threat this time, and Tseng said they have nothing to do with each other. So . . ." Reno turned back to the cell to find it empty. "Where is he?"

The cell door was locked tight, but the remnant wasn't there. Suddenly, Reno saw a clue on the floor. He knelt down, reached through the bars, and pulled out a long, gray feather.


	11. Searching for Truth

Chapter 11: Searching for Truth

"Tseng! He's gone!" Reno didn't know why he was running to the leader he distrusted, but he was sure that he would be the only one who'd have any clue what was going on. Tseng was still sitting in his office, reading Noam's notes. Reno was kind out of breath when he got there. "Tseng . . . Kadaj . . . Rude just . . . put him . . . in the cell . . . and he's gone!"

Tseng allowed Reno some time to catch his breath before he responded. "He escaped?" Tseng answered as though he was not surprised.

"I don't know. I'm sure it's on the security camera. This is all we found." He showed Tseng the gray feather. "Do you have any idea what it means? It's from that guy we fought yesterday, isn't it?"

Tseng took the feather and looked at it closely. He frowned. "Genesis."

"That's Genesis? What didn't you say so?"

"You never asked."

_That's because asking isn't doing much good anymore,_ Reno thought.

"This isn't good," Tseng mumbled.

_Tell me something I don't know, _Reno thought. "What is it?"

_He's knows I'm on to him,_ Tseng thought. But he gave Reno a different, yet still true, answer. "I'm sure Angeal told you how he's a Watchman. That's what he told me. It wasn't until this morning I knew his post. Every night at midnight, since the Lifestream first appeared on the surface, Genesis would come to the Lifestream and summon certain souls to join him in . . . a wicked purpose. And every night, Angeal would pursue these souls and send them back to the Lifestream. Last night, those souls that Genesis raised were Kadaj and his brothers. Angeal succeeded in stopping Loz and Yazoo, but Kadaj proved to be too quick and clever, and he escaped. Morever, Genesis discovered what Angeal was doing and fought back. The Watchman was able to push him back, with help, but he was weakened. All he could manage was to cast a Confusion spell on the boy so that he could not find his destination."

"That's what all the laughing was about?"

Tseng nodded. "Lifestream magic can be very strong. That's why I only use it as a last resort."

"So now Genesis has him back. I guess that isn't good. What's Genesis gonna do to him?"

Tseng peered up at him. "Remember what happened to Kadaj last time?"

"Yeah. He combined with the last leftovers of Jenova, and he became Sephiroth."

"It will be much worse than that."

Reno gulped. Oh dear. "What do we do?"

"Well, we can't really go out of our way to stop him now. Our time is short, and the clock is ticking. So, we'll just have to hope that he'll be stopped when Cloud takes on Sephiroth."

Wait, wasn't Kadaj Sephiroth? Oy, just thinking about all this made Reno's head spin. Elena entered with a clipboard. "Here. This was all I could find. It's probably not much, but maybe some of it will be useful."

Tseng glance it over. "Thank you, Elena." He shut his notebook and stood. "Well, I'll tell you what–why don't you guys take the rest of the night off? I'm going to Cosmo Canyon. You can come, you can stay, or you can go and do whatever you wish. But if you do come, please keep your distance. I need to retreat and be by myself for a little while." He walked off with a contemplative stare.

Reno definitely thought this was odd, especially after Tseng went into that whole spiel about the clock ticking. Well, might as well enjoy it while it lasted.

--

After everything that had changed, it was remarkable to see that Cosmo Canyon was still the same. The brilliant, florescent colors of the sun still gave the horizon a lovely glow. The Cosmo Candle still burned brightly in the town square. All the stores were still cut into the rock of the canyon and were only reachable by climbing ladders. And the huge, impressive observatory was at the very top of everything. Cloud started climbing up all those ladders to make it up to that observatory. Even after the difficult walk it took to get there, it was a workout. The moment he opened the door, he heard that voice again.

_Cloud! Cloud!_

"I'm here. Don't cry, I'm here," he replied softly, concerned.

"Cloud, who are you talking to?" Tifa asked.

"Can't you hear it calling for me?"

"Who's calling for you?" Jessie asked.

"All I hear is a weird, whaling noise," Yuffie added.

"What?" The noise stopped, and Bugenhagen floated over to greet them. "Hoo hoo! So, you can hear it!"

"Grandpa, we're you just listening to your machine?" Red XIII asked.

Machine? Of course, Bugenhagen was able to hear the voice of the planet with that device. But could he hear–?

"Yes, I was Nanaki," the elderly man answered. Then, he looked straight at Cloud and said seriously, "I hope you realize how much of a big deal it is that the planet is calling you by name." Nearly everybody in the party mumbled astonished when they heard this. "I never heard of such a thing. You must be very special to it."

"Well, it's been calling to me from the beginning. I just hope I can answer its call," Cloud answered humbly, realizing the man's superiority.

"Indeed, we must all hope that. The cry is becoming far more urgent as the spell continues. I fear the Lifestream will be entirely absorbed in just a few days." He turned to the heroes fearfully. "So, why haven't you stopped it yet? Why have you come here?"

Cloud got a little frustrated with his sudden urgency. "You once told us that we were always welcomed here if we sought wisdom, and that's why we've come."

"Oh, hoo hoo hoo!" Bugenhagen laughed in a way that was fast becoming very irritating and bounced in the air. "Of course. I can feel the confusion in your hearts. Forgive me for pushing you, but I am just as anxious as I'm sure she is to return to the Lifestream." He gestured to Aerith. "Well, tell me your troubles. I will do my best to resolve them."

So, Cloud told him everything he knew, starting with when his sword was stolen. A few times, someone would interrupt to add another detail. Cloud mostly made sure he emphasized every question he had on his heart. The old man just listened patiently.

"Well," he finally replied thoughtfully when Cloud finished, "it sounds like all of you had a very full adventure. Let's see, where to begin? Ah! Why don't we start with this thief?"

"Yes, let's," Cloud nodded. "Who do you think it might be?"

"Now, now, that's not where we should start. First, ask yourself, why do you think he stole your sword?"

"Well, it was Cloud's sword, and it's really rare. So, it's valuable!" Yuffie answered.

"True, but what do you think, Cloud?"

Cloud looked down doubtfully. "He didn't want me to fight."

"So, you think that he was against you? He wants you to give up against Sephiroth?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"Well, that doesn't make sense given the rest of his behavior–providing that boat to Wutai, sending the chocobo, giving you directions with those special boots, protecting you from possibly deadly foes. Clearly, he's guiding you to your destination, so I believe it is safe to assume that he does want you to fight."

"Well, what about attacking the airship? If he was on our side, he would have let us fly so that we would have gotten there quicker," Cloud asked impatiently.

"But are you sure you should get there quicker?" A look of realization came across his old face. "Of course, I should have remembered. It's been years since your last adventure. The strength you found back then has left you."

"And we can't get it back so easily," Cloud added, nodding.

"Exactly. And you need that strength more than ever. After all, you're not just going to face Sephiroth but also his kin and companions, and of course the originator of this evil spell. It will be your greatest challenge. So indeed, this thief does want you to fight and get this strength back."

"But if that's true, he would have left me with my sword! How am I going to fight Sephiroth with this?" He drew Maranatha and held it up rather scornfully. "With his sword, he'd slice me in half before you could bat an eye!"

"Bring that blade here. My eyes aren't as good as they used to be."

Cloud handed the weapon to Bugenhagen, who examined it closely. The old man gave a deep gasp of amazement. "I cannot believe it! I didn't even know these swords still existed."

"What do you mean?"

"You have here the stuff of legend. One might even believe it only existed in stories, for I don't think I heard of anyone ever finding one of these. This sword is thousands of years old, crafted by the Cetra!" His voice softened in awe.

"What?!" That was a shocker.

Aerith took a closer look at the blade. "He's right. I can feel it."

"But how do you know?"

The old man replied, "It is the only sword forged out of a very rare, malleable materia. Most materia contain the stray thoughts or memories of the Ancients, but they created this sword out of their greatest hopes. It has all of their secret arts crafted into the blade." Bugenhagen ran his hand over it reverently.

Cloud understood, kinda. That must be how he can hear and understand the voice of the planet and why he'd been having all these strange dreams. "But I don't get it. If it's so special, why doesn't it have better stats?"

"Ah, that's the true mystery of this sword. Legend has it Maranatha is connected to the Lifestream, to the very heart of the planet itself. It is said that only one who has faith in the planet and trusts in the planet with all his heart will know the true power of the sword."

"Yeah. That's not gonna be easy."

"Of course, some say that's achieved by finding whatever these slots were made for. It's very unclear, though. The legends only speak of the blessing of the planet. We don't know exactly what that is."

"How do we find it?"

"Hoo hoo! I don't have the first idea, my boy. If it truly does exist, the planet will guide you to it. Never fear, only believe."

"Who is Sanzamoura?" Aerith asked.

"I'm afraid I don't know," Bugenhagen replied regretfully, shrugged his shoulders.

"Do you know anything about the spell?"

"Very little. I can only feel the dread from its darkness. But I do know this happened before."

"It has?!" Cloud and Aerith said in unison.

"Thousands of years ago, yes. Perhaps even a thousand years before Jenova came. You see, there was another race of Ancients who went to war with the Cetra. They raised warriors from the Lifestream as their weapon, and the Cetra created these swords to defeat them."

"How come I never knew of them?" Aerith asked.

"The Cetra were ashamed of the war, and they tried to remove every memory of that race. They wouldn't even speak their enemy's name. They called them the Unloved and Unholy Ones, or the People of the West. I'm afraid that's about all I know." Then, he happened to glance at Biggs, who had his arm around Yuffie's shoulders as she sat "Indian-style" on the floor. "What is the meaning of this?" he said in astonishment. "Why are you leading this girl on?"

"What are you talking about?" Biggs said. "I'm not leading her on."

"You're making her believe that you're in love. What will she think when you have to leave?"

"I'm not gonna leave her!" Biggs shouted defensively.

"But you must! Do you not belong to the Lifestream?"

"Not anymore. I don't even remember being there."

Bugenhagen looked away with a pensive expression. "This is more complicated than I thought." He pointed to Biggs, Jessie, and Wedge. "Very well, you, you, and you, stay with me for a few minutes. There's something I need to show you."

Cloud knew what he was up to. Bugenhagen wanted to present them the same show on his contraption that he showed to Cloud and his friend five years ago. It was probably something the three of them needed to see, and he felt a little more satisfied now. "Come on, guys," he said quietly to everyone else.

As the others left, Vincent stayed behind, thinking that surely this man knew the answer to his question. Bugenhagen floated over to Vincent and looked closely at him. Before Vincent could speak, the old man said in a soft, sad tone, much unlike his usual cheerful demeanor, "Oh my. I sense that you are a tormented man." He put his hand on Vincent's chest. "Your heart is weary and lonely."

"Yes," Vincent hissed. The wise, old fool hit the nail on the head.

Bugenhagen removed his hand and smiled again. "You must learn to laugh!"

"No," Vincent replied turning away, thinking of their run-in with Kadaj. "Only fools laugh at nothing, for nothing merits laughter."

"A broken spirit tires the body, but a heart full of joy and mirth brings much healing and light to the soul. Laughter can give you that cheer."

Vincent just shook his head. Why must this silly laughing man lecture him about laughter? "No light can penetrate the darkness in my soul."

"Have you tried?"

Vincent turned back and looked straight at him. "Did you know Noam?"

"Yes, I know'im! Hoo hoo hoo! Come now, you have to admit, that merits laughter!"

"It is . . . clever . . . and amusing. But I find no joy in it."

"Try."

But instead, Vincent looked harder at the little man. "Tell me what you know about him."

"He was a . . . very curious young man, always asking questions, and always, always wanting to hear stories. Stories about the Ancients, stories about the wastrels, stories about the Lifestream. Stories, stories, stories. Every day, asking me everything I knew, asking everyone in town. But I understood, it wasn't the stories he really wanted. He was looking for the small hint of truth that is hidden in every story. He often went by himself, searching for that truth."

"Is that why he entered the Lifestream?"

"I'm sure it was."

"Do you know what he meant, when he came out?"

"I was the first to hear it, and it didn't know what it meant. Not at the time."

"But you know now! Tell me!"

"No, I cannot."

"Give me the answer! I must know!" Vincent's voice rose uncharacteristically.

Bugenhagen only stared off into space. Vincent was tempted to draw his gun and threaten the man, but then he remembered what this was really for. So he approached the man carefully and spoke uncharacteristically again, but this time gently.

"Please. It is not for myself alone that I ask. I am not the only one who is lonely and weary."

"Oh, hoo hoo hoo! I will tell you this. Before Noam went into the Lifestream, he went alone late at night into the sealed Gi Cave. Perhaps something he found there influenced his decision to find the Lifestream, or perhaps it is where he first found the inklings for his little riddle."

"Where will I find this cave?

"The entrance is next to the materia shop. You just need to flip the switch, but beware. It's a very dangerous place to go alone, especially very late at night. Unholy zombie creatures roam there, many who can cast instant death."

"I can handle it. Thank you." He turned to leave.

"Wait!" Vincent turned back. "Try to give me one little laugh before you leave."

"Force it?"

"I will help you. Breathe, just very short breaths from your diaphragm." Bugenhagen demonstrated what he meant, and Vincent was able to imitate him. "Good. Now, try to put a sound behind it. Hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo!"

Vincent tried making a guttural sound, "Heh heh heh heh," but at first there was no emotion behind it at all. Then the more he did it, he started to choke. And then, his attempt at laughter became sobs. He turned away and started to cry. He wiped his tears away with his hand, but then he looked at them, baffled. He didn't remember the last time he gave this response either. He just gave one last look at Bugenhagen, swirled his cape, and left.

--

Everybody was sitting and talking at the Cosmo Candle, trying to process their talk with Bugenhagen. Aerith looked ahead to see the brilliant colors of the sunset, and it just so happened that her eyes fell upon the figure of a familiar man standing on top of the observatory. "Excuse me," she said quietly to the others, and she stood up, climbed all the ladders and stairs, until she made it next to the huge telescope. She addressed him in a gentle, quiet voice, "I've wondered if you were here. I've been very concerned about you. How are you, Tseng?"

"Not well," he replied wearily, swiping a hand over his forehead.

"Is there anything I can do?"

He turned to her slightly. "You're already doing it," he said sadly.

She came up to him and tenderly laid her hand on his arm. Her presence alone brought some solace to his heart but not enough to heal him.

"Sunset is coming," he remarked.

"Yes, I know."

"Has your return been as hard for you as it has for me?"

"How hard has it been for you?"

"Rude has betrayed me. Reno denied me. And Elena . . . she wants to trust me, but she so confused. I've just been trying so hard to make them understand, and–"

"Well, I haven't."

He looked at her curiously. "You haven't? But don't they need to?"

"There's not really a point to it. There's so much they'll never understand, not while they're here anyway. When they ask questions, I try my best to answer. Really, though, they don't ask many questions." Aerith smiled at her friends' trust in her.

Tseng sighed. She didn't know as much as he knew, so he felt like they were talking about two different things. "I guess . . . that might be part of the problem. Maybe I am trying too hard. But there's just so much to do, and so little time! I feel like I'm blind, like I've been walking this world without a map. Every door I try is locked, every road is a dead end!"

"Now, that doesn't sound like something a Turk would say."

"It's not the only thing, you know." He broke away from her and started to pace. "When Rude and Reno left, it really hurt. I tried to ignore it. I tried to put on a smile and let them go their way. I even tried to rationalize to myself that it was the right thing. But . . . it just hurt that they couldn't trust me." He stopped and looked back to the horizon, and as he spoke his eyes gleamed with tears that he tried with all of his might to hold back. "You know, while I was here, I wanted to teach them somehow. The Turks . . . they're like my family. They're like children . . . my children. I think they see me as a father sometimes. This is something I'd never say to anyone, especially them, but . . . they're all very dear to me, the only people in my heart. It's just . . . I don't want them to make the same mistakes I did."

"Making mistakes is part of life. That's the risk we all take. You know that."

"Yes, of course I do. I just keep thinking that one day, they'll see their real selves, and they'll spend eternity regretting what they were and grieving over what they could have been. It just kills me! It tears me apart!"

"Tseng, the only reason you have that regret is because you hold on to it."

"I know, 'shilly-shally, dilly-dally.' I try to move on, I really do. I'm impressed with the progress I'm making. Isn't it different, though, when you worry about someone else?"

"You just need to have faith."

"I have faith! I believe, no matter what, Cloud's going to stop everything. He's the planet's friend, the hero, the redeemed one."

"Not just in Cloud, in the light! Light conquers darkness, you know. But also, in them, and especially in yourself. Just keep being an example. Reach out to them in love. Maybe they'll listen to you, and maybe they won't. If they don't want to change, you can't force them, you know. Still, you never know what will happen. Maybe they'll change after you've gone. Just don't give up, pray, and have faith."

Tseng just looked down doubtfully.

Aerith touched his arm again. "It will all work out, Tseng. Just be patient, and don't worry."

He nodded. "OK, I'll try."

"Tseng," she said gently but firmly, "promise me you won't worry."

It was a tough promise to make, but after a long pause, the Turk answered solemnly, "You have my word."

She let his arm go. "Come down and join us. Maybe the company will do you good."

"No, that's alright. I think I'll stay up here for a little while." Aerith nodded and started going down the stairs. "Aerith?"

She turned back. "Yes, Tseng?"

"Take good care of him, please. We're counting on him, you know."

She wondered who he meant by "we," but she only smiled, such a beautiful smile. "I will."

That smile and Aerith's hopeful, green eyes had a lasting impression on Tseng's heart. It's always amazing how the most beautiful angels don't have wings.

--

Rude was out by himself using his equipment to track any trucks in the area, most of which wasn't doing him much good. So the best thing he could do was walk around and search. It might have been luck (or no small coincidence at all), but the same truck drove up next to him.

"Well, fayncy seein' you here!" the friendly trucker grinned.

Rude boarded. "Stop the truck. We must talk."

"Okie-doke, Smokes." He pulled the truck over. "So whar's Rooster?"

Rude raised an eyebrow. "Rooster?"

"Oh, the . . . red-head fella."

"He has matters of his own to tend to. It's really none of your business."

"Sorry to pry, sir. I'm jes chewin' the fat."

"Drop the act, please."

"What ayct you talkin' 'bout?"

"You couldn't have known what we were doing up in Mt. Nibel. That information was classified. Only a few people working on the Mt. Nibel project last year knew why were there. Plus, I checked with Bill's Chocobo Ranch. They say only Strife Delivery Service handles their errands now, and their delivery boy does not drive a truck. Oh, and their accent doesn't sound a bit like yours."

The truckers grin faded, and he turned back to the steering wheel. "You found me out, have you?" he replied in a somewhat deeper voice, with a hint of a British accent.

"Who are you?"

The trucker looked at him seriously. "Shinra sent me as a spy. They are concerned that you are falling seriously behind schedule."

"Oh, the mission!" Rude hit his head on the headrest. "You can tell them that's been my priority from the start, but this has taken much of my time and energy, and I feel this more important."

"No, I understand. I believe I agreed to help you this morning, remember?"

"You're the one I called regarding my salary?"

"That's right. I answered your call. I believe, if we work together, we can very easily uncover Tseng's treachery."

"One question, the story you told on the road regarding Tseng's–?"

"–was to test you," the trucker interrupted.

"I see." Rude leaned forward. "What do you have in mind?"

The trucker smiled deviously. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve." Rude couldn't help but copy the smile. "But I'm afraid they'll have to wait until the morning. I have a rather important assignment tonight."

"So, we'll meet in the morning? Where should I meet you?"

"Don't worry, chap, I'll find you. Good evening to you."

Rude got off, and the trucker drove away. Just after he took off, a chuckle was heard behind the seat. The spy picked up a staff hidden under his seat, pointed it toward the back seat, and the chuckling stopped. He looked back and smiled at the boy sleeping back there underneath a black blanket. "Fear not, child. Restoration is not far off. The gift of the goddess shall be yours in due time."

--

"Wow, that was something else, wasn't it guys?" Biggs said.

"Yeah, I feel like I totally understand the Lifestream now," Wedge said.

"To think, we were part of that! Pretty cool!" Jessie said.

"Well," Cloud said as he stood as he saw them come back, "you guys ready to call it a day?"

"Yeah," everybody agreed.

"Alright, I got us all a room. Come on." Everybody got up and followed–except Vincent. He continued to sit and stare at the Cosmo Candle. "Coming, Vincent?"

"I am sleeping out here tonight," he answered.

"You sure?" Yuffie said.

"It gets cold after dark," Red XIII warned him.

"I have my reasons," Vincent replied.

"Do, uh, you want company?" Barret offered.

"No," Vincent replied curtly.

"Hey, I didn't mean–" Barret felt offended by Vincent's abrupt, rude rejection.

"I am sleeping alone. Leave me be." Vincent wrapped his cape around him and lay down.

"Weird guy," Biggs muttered.

"Guess we shouldn't bother him," Cloud said indifferently. Everybody followed him to the inn, but Aerith stopped and looked at Vincent with concern. When he didn't move, she joined the others.

About an hour passed. The sun sunk beneath the horizon, and stars began to appear. The Cosmo Candle continued to blaze, and Vincent was no closer to sleep. His mind was too restless.

"So there you are," a voice said over his head. Vincent uncovered his head and saw a Turk looking down on him. He pulled himself up to a sitting position but did not make eye contact with the visitor, just stared into the Cosmo Candle. "I had hoped for a long time I would speak with you, Valentine. I never thanked your properly for your help at Northern Cave three years ago."

"Don't mention it," Vincent growled.

"Very well." Tseng sat next to him. "You know, you and I are not too unalike. We were both Turks. You were long before I was."

"We are nothing alike," Vincent replied with a glare, though still not making eye contact.

"Let me finish. It is my understanding that you also studied under the world's greatest folklorist. But you were more fortunate. You knew him when he was alive. I had to settle for his reports. Such a tragedy. Noam's genius was so . . . unappreciated. You have not been the only one who's been trying to decode his mysteries. Indeed, perhaps that is why I became a Turk."

That statement surprised him. Vincent turned his head in curiosity. Was there really another?

"I wanted to understand the secrets of this world that Noam uncovered, mysteries we lost when he went mad. That was when I was young. I got pulled along, thinking that Shinra would find all the answers. How little I knew. I didn't realize how foolish I've been until it was too late."

Vincent couldn't say it out loud, but that was exactly how he felt.

"Well . . . happy birthday." Tseng threw down at Vincent's side a number of folders. "These are all the files I had in the archive. I just finished reading them again, and I believe they will do you good. I hope they'll tell you what you wish to know. Good evening to you." He got up and started to leave, but then he stopped and turned around. "A word to the wise, however. If you are anything like me, you have within the depths of your heart a wish for Truth. It is indeed a noble desire. They say, 'Beauty is truth, and truth is beauty.' But it can be a dangerous wish. Be very careful, or as another proverb goes, 'You just might get it.'"

"That's not my wish, not even close," Vincent said under his breath as Tseng walked away. Still, he picked up the folder and read the notes ravenously by the Cosmo Canyon's light.

--

The last wastrel also had a restless mind that prevented him from slumber. He rolled around on the rug at the foot of the beds and lashed his fiery tail, but he couldn't settle down. (Cid's snores weren't helping matters.)

"You alright, laddie?" a gentle, Scottish voice asked in his ear.

"Can't sleep," Red XIII growled.

"Well, just be careful. I'm worried you might crush me."

"Sorry, Cait. I wish I remembered to ask Grandpa about my father, Seto. Maybe the Lifestream brought him back. I just wonder if I could talk to him, maybe forgive him for how I once held his memory."

"You know where he is. Why don't you try to find him?"

"You're right. I can go. Maybe other wastrels are alive too, and they're all waiting in the cave. Oh, but will you come with me? It's very dangerous with all the spirits of the Gi, and I don't want to go alone."

"Of course, I'll go with you. I might as well since I'm awake, too."

As silently as he could, the creature skulked out of the inn. The Cosmo Candle was still aflame, though it had died down some. "Wasn't Vincent out here? Wonder where he is?"

"Sleepwalking?"

"Maybe. Well, it's not a big deal." They climbed up the stairs to the materia shop, but to their surprise, the opening to the cave was already unsealed. "Somebody else is down there?"

As soon as they made their way down the ladders and ropes to the base of the cave, they heard distant gunfire. "Vincent?"

"Why's he down here?"

"Let's go see, but let's keep a shadow's distance."

So they followed the former Turk, staying several steps behind. Vincent quickly killed any fiend that got in his way with his gun, so Red XIII and Cait Sith didn't have to contend with difficult monsters. Both of them were amazed that Death Sentence attacks didn't have an effect on him. Occasionally, Vincent referred to a folder in his hand before taking a path. He nearly hit a fatal mistake at the end of the path. Facing Gi Nattak, Vincent's Limit Break kicked in, and he changed into the Galian Beast. Red XIII held his breath because he knew the beast's main attacks were fire-based, which was Gi Nattak's strength. The transformed monster mostly did Berserk Dance and after a while conquered the evil spirit. The Galian Beast howled in victory then dissolved back into Vincent. Swishing his cape, he proceeded out the new exit.

"This is it," Red XIII whispered to his puppet friend. But when he bounded out at the exit, he saw Vincent looked up in respect. The petrified remains of Seto the Wastrel stood above him. "Father, you didn't return?" Red XIII whispered sadly. "Why? Why didn't you come back?" He bowed his head in reverence and sadness.

"Look laddie! He's still walking!" Indeed, Vincent had lowered his eyes and moved past the statue. "Where do you think he's going?"

"I don't know. I haven't been this far."

"Let's go see!"

Red XII leapt onto of the high stone walls above Vincent so that he could continue without being seen. Vincent never looked up. Sometimes, though, he'd stop and stare at the wall. Once, he even closed his eyes and pressed his hand against the stone and stood still for about a minute. He looked so sad.

As they got to the back of the room, Red XIII and Cait Sith both saw something that made them gasp in wonder. Vincent stopped in his tracks and just tried to take in what he was seeing. "A mako fountain?" It was a rather large pool of silver water that hummed and felt much like the Lifestream. Vincent fell to his knees and stared into the water. "No. It's more like a Lifestream reservoir. Just like in your notes. So those must have been the runes you described. 'The waters of the dead,' yes of course. This must be where you disappeared."

"Who is he talking to?" Cait Sith asked.

"Don't know. He's always been acting funny around the Lifestream, though, hasn't he?"

Vincent laid down on his belly and continued to stare into the silver stream. "Colorless green ideas sleep fiercely," he whispered one more time. As he was on the brink of sleep, he once again reached his hand out to touch the strange waters.

"Why are you here?"

"Hmm?" Vincent sat up looked beside him to see a man he didn't recognize, a rather large man wearing red robes, with a high collar that obscured his face. The cave was so dark, Vincent couldn't discern his features anyway.

"What is it that you're looking for?" the stranger asked again in a raspy voice.

Vincent squinted his eyes, trying to get a better look at the stranger. "Who are you?"

"Answer my question."

Vincent turned back to the Lifestream. "I have come to look for . . . meaning . . . in nonsense. Stability . . . in chaos. The answer to death . . . or perhaps the answer to life. It's almost impossible to tell. It's a riddle."

"Some riddles are best left unsolved," the stranger said, imperceptibly and as if in code.

"Are they?" Vincent was on his guard, hand already on the trigger and the safety catch (though he wasn't sure if fighting him would do much good–there was something almost . . . holy about him).

"Those who seek the answer to death become obsessed with it. When they find its power, it takes over. They get caught in its endless spiral, never able to escape. The dead should be allowed to rest. If you seek death, you will forget to live." The truth in the words carried through even the rasping whisper.

"Tell me, is the reverse true? Do those who find the answer to life . . . forget to die?"

"Every story has an end."

"Is that so?" He stood and turned to the stranger in anger, pulling out his weapon. "Then where does our story end?"

But he was gone. Vincent buried his head in his arms and began to weep. The ending, how long had he been wanting to know it? How long had he been denied? "Where does our story end?" he repeated over and over. "Is there something more? Is there anything more? Ah, Lucretia . . . Lucretia . . ."

"Poor lad," Cait Sith said softly. Red XIII was rather sure nothing else was going to happen to him, so he crept back to Seto's statue and tried to speak to it all night. He ended up falling asleep by the wastrel's paws.

--

Early in the morning, Tseng pressed the speed dial on his phone. "I've come to a decision," he said. "Sunset is fast approaching. The time has come for the Truth to be revealed . . . Yes, I know. I've done all I can, but I still haven't found it . . . We just need to have faith. Yes faith, that's what I said. 'If it be not now, yet it will come. The readiness is all' . . . No, it's not _Loveless_, it's Shakespeare! . . . What do you mean, 'Shakespeare who?' . . . Never mind. You remember what we discussed. Do what you must do, and," he took a breath ",good luck." He hung up.


	12. The Turk, the Guardian, and the Angel

Chapter 12: The Turk, the Guardian, and the Angel

Once more, Cloud had a dream of the darkness. It wasn't quite the same this time. He didn't see the sleeping man or the witch at his head first. He saw Genesis flying through the dark sky, carrying a black bundle in his arms. As he landed, he set the bundle down, and it stood as a young person in a black robe, face hidden by its hood. "Come with me. Stay close," Genesis instructed. The black-garbed figure complied without hesitation.

He (or whoever it was) followed Genesis through a dark wood. He heard voices–moans and screams. The robed figure went after the voices, which led him to the Lifestream. Ghostly figures were raising out of the green waters but then falling back in. As the person in the black robe came closer, the specters screamed louder and pointed at him accusingly. He shied away from their wispy hands. One of them grabbed his wrist. Genesis quickly appeared, waved his staff, and the robed figure was freed. Genesis then put his hand around his visitor's shoulders. "I said stay close. Now, come." He led him on.

Then, Cloud saw the witch and the sleeping man. "It shall not be long now," the woman whispered. "Yes, in a matter of time, all shall be fulfilled. Your desire shall soon be granted. A little longer to endure." She stood upright. "Behold who is come! An early guest to your Reunion."

Genesis came forward, his hands on the shoulders of the black robed young man. The boy took off his hood, and his silver hair gleamed in the moonlight.

Kadaj.

He wasn't laughing anymore. In fact, for the first time, he looked confused, and perhaps even frightened. He looked so...hopeful that it was almost impossible. "I don't understand," he said softly. "Can he see me?"

"He knows you are here," Genesis answered.

"And he is glad," the woman added. "My boy, smile for me! Your smile is so beautiful."

"The corners of my lips hurt, Auntie. I'm sorry," Kadaj answered dejectedy, rubbing the sides of his mouth.

"He hasn't fully recovered from the spell," Genesis covered.

"That is of little consequence," the woman answered. "Go to him, Kadaj. Fear not, he is waiting."

Kadaj approached the sleeping man cautiously, as though he were looking into a casket. "Uh . . . hi. It's been a long time, hasn't it? I'm sorry my brothers couldn't come, but they send their . . ." He paused and looked at the woman. "I can hear him!"

"Yes. That is the bond. Now, take his hand. He has a gift for you."

"Remember, just one drop of the sweet nectar is all you require," Genesis told the boy before releasing his hold.

Kadaj edged closer and reached for the body slowly. He hesitated and whispered, "Yes. I forgive you." Then, Kadaj took his hand.

Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash of green light. The sleeping man groaned and hyperventilated. Kadaj fell to his knees, screaming in pain. Genesis watched with a detached interest, but the woman raised her hands high above her head, her eyes glowing with triumph.

--

Cloud was awakened by a tickling sensation around his face. He blinked hard a few times before he opened his eyes. "What?" he muttered. He thought maybe it was a bug and tried to shoo it away, but then his hand brushed against something soft on his face. He opened his eyes, and his hand picked up what was on his left cheek–a black feather. Cloud gasped, and his heart started thudding like crazy. He looked down on floor next to his bed. There was a white feather! This could only mean one thing.

"He was in here! HE WAS IN HERE!" He immediately got up and checked all of his possessions in a craze.

Barret yawned, and his grumpy attitude caught up with him.. "For crying out loud, Cloud, you don't have to shout!"

"Quick, get up! Check your weapon, your items, your accessories, your gil. The thief was in here last night! He might have stolen something else!" He looked over everything of his about three times. Everything was accounted for. He ran to the girls' room and shouted instructions through the door. He went outside to see if Vincent saw anything, but Vincent wasn't there.

"Hey kid!" Cid called from behind him.

"You missing something?"

"Nah, I got everything, but I found somethin'. Your thief left his calling card, literally. Honestly, if you haven't been running around like a chocobo with its head cut off, you might have seen it!" Cid's gruff voice hinted anger and irritation.

"I already know about that! How did you think I know–?"

"Oh, you found the one that was under your pillow?"

"Under my . . . pillow?"

"Yeah. See for yourself."

Cid handed him an index card, much like the one he received with the Wastrel boots, but this one used a different font. It read:

"Follow me home."

Cloud turned it over to see if it had any more information, and he did find some information that would have been more helpful to learn previously:

"P. S. I didn't take anything this time."

Cloud paced around, repeating the first phrase to himself. "Follow me home. Follow me home. Follow me home." It was an invitation from the thief. Why? Was he giving Cloud a chance to get his sword back? Was he going to reveal and explain himself? Or could it be a trap? Even if it was, what other choice did he have?

Meanwhile, everybody else argued over the semantics of the phrase. "How can we follow him home?" Tifa asked. "We don't even know who he is! How can we know where his home is?"

"I don't think we're supposed to," Cloud answered. "That's not the point. He knows who I am. He's not telling me to go to his home. He asking me to meet him at my home." Cloud's intelligence and calm after the storm only proved that the hurricane that had swept through that morning must had been somewhat cathartic to him.

"So we have to go all the way back to Midgar?" Yuffie whined.

Cloud shook his head. "Nibelheim."

"How do you know?" Tifa asked, wonderingly.

"I'm not sure, but something's telling me I must return to where it all started."

Before someone could ask what Cloud meant or how he got this intuition, Vincent emerged, his head held high with purpose. Red XIII bounded after him, Cait Sith hanging onto the creature's back.

"Well, there you are!" Cloud yelled, running up to greet him. He looked closely at Vincent's face. "You look better."

"I feel better," Vincent replied, though he still sounded weary.

"Did you solve your riddle?"

Vincent shook his head. "But perhaps I don't need to."

_Hallelujah_, Cloud thought_. "_Listen, while you were out here, did you see anyone suspicious?"

"Not while I was out here. I did see someone, but . . . it might have been little more than a vision."

"Anything unusual about him, like wings?"

"No, nothing like that." Vincent seemed adamant.

"Alright then." Nobody saw him. He didn't take anything. So the only thing left to do was follow his instructions. "Everyone, to Nibelheim! Let's go!"

Yet as they left, Aerith looked at Vincent with concern. "Are you sure you're alright?" She looked closer at his face and gasped. "You've been crying!"

Vincent instinctively glared at her for making such an accusation, but then he dropped his eyes as though he was humiliated. He turned away and answered, "I will not give up hope," though it sounded like he was saying it more to himself than he was to her. He walked on.

Aerith looked at him, puzzled, and followed. She couldn't tell how he was feeling, everything felt so mixed up.

--

This is the moment he both anticipated and dreaded. Everything he'd been doing since emerging out of the Lifestream had led to this. There was no fanfare of trumpets or clash of cymbals. It just was like every other moment. Well, the less fanfare, the better. But what was he to do now? He looked everywhere he could think of, and he still hadn't found the key. He had hoped, no expected, to have more success than this. He paced anxiously, trying to devise a last minute alternative that might work.

Then, he heard Reno's voice. "OK, here we are. Listen, I need you to tell Tseng what you just told me. Just a second." The helicopter door opened, flooding the cabin with sunlight. Reno and Elena both came in, looking anxious, like they hadn't slept all night. "Hey Tseng?" Reno said. "Reeve's on the phone. He was just telling us about something. We've been doing all we could to figure it out, but we think that you might be able to decipher it."

"Alright," Tseng said tiredly. Reno handed him the phone. "What is it, Reeve?"

"Colorless green ideas sleep fiercely," the voice said on the other end. (Boom. Bombshell dropped.)

Tseng's eyes grew wide. "Say that again, slowly."

"Colorless . . . green . . . ideas . . . sleep . . . fiercely."

Of course, Noam's final, most controversial words! It had to be a clue. "Where did you hear that?" He spoke earnestly, his voice unable to conceal his anticipation.

"Vincent Valentine's been saying it the whole trip to himself. I've been meaning to say something about it, but I can never remember how it goes. I made a point to listen to it closely last night. Do you know what it means?"

"I might," he answered vaguely. "At least, I think I do."

"He's been acting weird during the whole journey, staring into the Lifestream like he's in some sort of trance. Then last night, he went into that sealed cave, talking to himself, and this morning he came out with this look on his face like he figured out the mystery he's been trying to unravel this whole time."

He must have figured it out. Good job, Valentine! The Guardian must have helped him. "Alright, listen closely to me. Cloud needs to follow his own path, but I need for you to encourage the others to stay near the Lifestream."

"No problem. What for?"

"I think they have figured something out, and I need to have a little talk with them." He hung up before he could explain any more. He closed the helicopter door and started going to the controls. Then, almost as an afterthought, he turned to Elena and Reno. "You can come if you want."

"What's going on?" Reno asked. Once again, he was out of the loop.

"Yeah, what are we doing?" Elena echoed.

Tseng regarded them mysteriously. "You've wanted to know this whole time what I've been up to. Now's your chance to find out. Plus, there's bound to be some action."

"Say no more," Reno replied, strapping himself in. _Finally, some answers that __**are**__ answers! And the action's just a cherry on top._

--

Just as soon as Reeve got off of the phone, it rang again. He answered, "Urban Development Department."

"Reeve?"

"Oh, Mr. President sir! What may I do for you?"

"I need a big favor from you. You've been keeping contact with the Turks through Reno, right?"

"Yes sir."

"I need you to get him to tell us anything he knows about Tseng's whereabouts. There's something important I need to tell him."

"Actually sir, I was just talking to him. He's planning to rendezvous with Cloud's group soon. I think he wants to know what we know."

"Excellent. Then do this for me. When you meet with Tseng, transmit your coordinates right away so that I can access them and speak with him personally. It would also be helpful if Cloud was there, so if he's apart from the group wait until he rejoins."

"That should be no problem at all, sir. I'll make sure you'll get them right away."

--

"I knew I could trust you, Reeve. Thank you, kindly." The spy put down his two-way radio and smiled at Rude.

"I've never heard someone imitate Rufus's voice so well," Rude said. "You must be an actor."

The spy chuckled. "I do have an interest in the theatre."

Rude smirked. The spy took up the receiver again. "Now what?"

"Now we set the stage."

--

They had to cross another river, but they found a large tree lying across the water like a bridge. It did not look like it had been struck by lightning. Cloud sighed. Another coincidence-that-really-wasn't-just-chance.

Nibelheim was another community that didn't look like it had changed at all, but then again to Cloud it always felt like a frozen memory. He started asking around to see if anyone saw anybody suspicious. He made sure not to say anything about wings. Nearly everybody he talked to said they hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary. Then one guy by the Shinra mansion said he thought he saw someone just before sunrise walking across town slowly. The witness called to him, but he didn't respond. He was heading out of town toward Mt. Nibel. Sure enough, as they passed the Shinra mansion, they found more feathers on the ground.

"Cloud! Look!" Aerith ran ahead to a place on the side of the road, where several trees had limbs cut off. "What's this?"

Cloud drew nearer to the trees and looked at them closely. "I've never seen this path before, so it must have been made recently. These limbs were cut down by a very sharp blade. What the–?" He reached down and picked up something on the ground. "A purple apple?"

"Dumbapple," Aerith said. "From white banora trees. Zack told me about them. They're kinda rare."

"What does it taste like?"

"I don't know. Cloud!" She pulled a black feather off a broken limb.

"So, it's him. He's cleared us a path. He wants us to come."

_Maranatha!_

Cloud turned to Aerith in surprise. "That sounded close!"

"I thought so, too!"

"Come on." They started going down the newly-made path..

"Hey!" Yuffie called. "You guys are going the wrong way!"

"Yeah man, Mt. Nibel's over here," Barret said.

"We gotta check this out," Cloud answered. "I think the thief's leading us over here."

"Hey wait," Cait Sith said suddenly, "what about the Lifestream?"

"What about it?"

"Well, that was our whole purpose, right? We've detoured for so long without much reason. The Turks could be taking it over, you know." There was no hint of Reeve in the robotic cat's Scottish brogue.

"You got a point. OK, one more person can come with us, and the rest of you go back to the Lifestream and look out for Turks. What about you, Vincent? Your head out of the clouds?"

But Vincent wasn't paying attention. He spotted movement on the other side of the forest. "YOU!" Vincent yelled, pointing. A large man in a red coat was standing there. He took one look at Vincent and then calmly turned away. "DON'T YOU DARE TURN YOUR BACK ON ME!" Vincent pointed his gun at the stranger.

"What is it, Vincent?" Cloud asked, running to his side.

"He did it! He's leading us astray! I won't let him get away with it!"

"Who?"

Vincent looked ahead. The stranger had disappeared. "Never mind." But as he looked closer, he spotted a blue chocobo. He started to remember this place. It was near. He wandered off.

Cloud shook his head, bewildered and slightly frustrated with his insane ravings. "OK, Vincent's out. So . . ."

"Cloud?" Aerith said softly. "I think we should go alone."

"Are you sure?" He turned round.

"Since we're the only two that can hear the voice of the planet, it won't do any good to have anybody else."

"I just don't want what happened at the Temple of the Ancients to repeat itself."

"It won't."

"Alright then. Tifa, you're in charge. Lead everybody down the Lifestream."

"Yes sir, Cloud," she said, saluting him playfully, and they parted. Cloud led the way down the new path, partly because Aerith was being extra slow. The place sounded eerily quiet. He couldn't even hear crickets or birds. "I wonder what was wrong with Vincent," Cloud said aloud to break the silence.

"Shh!" Aerith said. She looked all around. "Are you here? Did you call to us?"

_Yes._

Cloud gasped. He was starting to think the planet had only a two word vocabulary, but here it was starting a conversation.

"What do you need for us to do?" he asked.

_I hurt. I feel so weak. Make it stop._

"How?"

But Aerith asked a question right at the same time. "Where do you hurt? Is it here, in this place?"

_I'm afraid of this place. It's where they used to live._

"They?"

_The people who hurt me, who liked hurting me._

"Are they there now?"

_No. They've been gone for a long time. One of them came back._

"Is he here?" Cloud asked, but the planet didn't answer.

"Cloud, I'm worried. There's dark magic all around us, repulsing the planet. I fear if we go any further, we'll be completely alone," Aerith said, shivering at the thought.

"Hey, the whole reason we came was to stop it, right?" Cloud's never-say-die attitude reigned. He kept going down the new path, and Aerith followed tentatively. The path ended in a hole in the side of a hill. Cloud looked inside. Is this what he thought it was?

"What do you think is down here?"

He kinda wanted to say it, and he kinda didn't. From all he heard, this is probably where it happened. Could the thief had been responsible? He leaned down and picked up a white feather lying in the mouth of the cave. Cloud took a deep breath and replied with a word he never thought he'd use.

"Destiny."

--

Vincent guided the chocobo over the rough terrain, trying to remember where it was. It had to be close! Once he found water, he directed the chocobo to skid over the smooth current. He followed upstream until he found it–a calm pool and a waterfall. He landed on the shore, dismounted, and patted the chocobo's flank. The bird squeaked in response. Vincent looked toward the cave on the other side of the waterfall, took a deep breath, and waded in the pool.

--

"Come on guys, this way!" Tifa called, gesturing to the Lifestream.

"Jealous, boss?" Wedge asked as he walked next to Barret.

"Hmm, what?" he answered, distracted.

"You know, with Tifa leading."

"Yeah," Biggs joined in. "Tifa may have founded AVALANCHE, but you insisted on being the leader. Now, she's taken over. You seem pretty calm, but I bet you're steamed inside."

Barret sighed. "It's for the best," he said under his breath.

"Hey," Jessie said. "That doesn't sound like the Barret we know. What's going on?"

"Is it that new job you have?" Wedge asked.

"It's just experience!" Barret snapped. "You know, I really shouldn't have come. This was a mistake. I shouldn't have let you get mixed up with me again."

"Alright Barret," Tifa said, turning around with her hands on her hips. "You're not allowed to say things like that! You're a great fighter, and we need you!"

"You don't understand." Barret sat down, hiding his face in his one hand. "They called me a terrorist."

"What?!" everybody said, crowding around him.

"THEY CALLED ME A TERRORIST!" Barret repeated, flushed with shame and anger. He wiped the sweat of his forehead. "When I was running for office, my past was made public. They talk about my blowing up the Mako reactor in Shinra and listed all the casualties caused from that. They said I killed thousands of people and destroyed most of Midgar. And you know what? They're right!" His face contorted in self-loathing.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Cait Sith spoke up. "This is all about some mudslinging?! For crying out loud, Shinra was responsible for most of those casualties!"

"Yeah, but it happened because of my plans with AVALANCHE. Most people didn't believe it. I mean, I got elected after all. But my reputation has never been the same. It hardly seems fair. They call Cloud and Tifa heroes, but they think I'm just the big, scary guy with a gun for an arm."

"Is that what this is about?" Cid yelled annoyed. "That's no big deal! You can't imagine some things people said about me when this was all over, and do you think I care? Ha!"

"Well, it's different for even you. All those kids were running toward you, calling your name. Children run away from me. I've gotten a lot of letters from parents saying I've been giving their kids nightmares. It's even gotten to the point that they questioned if Marlene is safe with me."

"That does it!" Cait Sith called out again, this time dropping his accent. "When this is all over, I'm coming to Corel, and I'm going to be your new publicist." The robotic cat jumped off Nanaki's back, walked over to Barret, and pledged allegiance.

"No, I don't need to get you tangled up in this. It's not your mess!"

"Well, you need someone to get you out of it! I mean, you deserve a lot more than this. You could be mayor someday."

Barret groaned and looked away. _They'd never understand. I don't want to do politics anymore. I'm no leader!_

"Come on. I helped convince people that Shinra was a utopia, even when I had my doubts. How much more could you expect me to do for you?"

Someone scoffed in response. "Kinda blowing your cover there, aren't ya Reeve?" Everybody turned around and saw Reno and Elena standing on the bank of the Lifestream. Elena had her arms crossed trying to look cool, and Reno wore his trademark smirk.

"Turks!" Tifa yelled. Everybody stood and took a defensive stance.

"Let's see," Reno said, "Cloud's not here, of course, and I guess the Ancient girl went with him, and the pale guy? Pity, all the most interesting folks in the bunch are gone."

"Hey, is Cloud the only one who has a name in your book?"

Reno opened his mouth to make another wise-guy retort when the answer came from behind him, "I should say not, Miss Lockheart." Tseng advanced from the helicopter, stepped in front of the two Turks, and bowed his head at Tifa. "Greetings."

"Hello, Tseng," she replied in an uncertain tone.

"There's no need to get defensive. I have a business proposition for you, and I think you'll be quite interested."

--

"Did you have that dream about Kadaj?" Aerith asked as she and Cloud made their way through the tunnels of the cave.

"Oh, oh yeah! I haven't really thought about it much, since this all started happening," he answered.

"Wasn't it just awful? I mean, the poor boy."

"At least he's not laughing his head off anymore. I wonder what was happening to him. Who knew glory could hurt so much?"

"That wasn't glory. He only thought it was."

"How do you know?"

"Only the Lifestream can give true glory, and only for those whom the Lifestream deems worthy."

They reached the end of one tunnel, only to find a very familiar setting–a maze of level structures, stairs, and vines. "No . . . it can't be . . ." Aerith whispered.

"You know where you are, don't you?" Cloud suddenly spoke up.

"It can't be the same place. The temple was destroyed, and . . . it's so quiet here. It's like . . . the planet has abandoned this place."

"I know it looks like the Temple of the Ancients, but you know what it is really, do you?"

"What?"

"It's the western cave in Mt. Nibel. This is where Tseng died." As he looked down on the ground in the maze, he noticed that someone drew a line in the dust, a rather sharp, narrow line. "He's shown us the way through the maze. He's made it easy on us . . . maybe too easy." Cloud's voice softened in apprehension.

"You think it's a trap?"

"I know it is," he replied with hateful anger. "He's waiting for us now, but I'm ready for him. I'm ready to see him face to face. And if it is Zack, I'm not going to go easy on him."

Aerith looked away sadly and said nothing. Cloud started following the line in the sand.

--

"You seek the answer to the mystery of the Lifestream, why it's behaving so strangely," Tseng said carefully. "I can tell you."

"What?!" Reno cried with a look of complete astonishment on his face. "You're gonna squeal to them the secrets of the Lifestream, and you won't talk to us about it?"

"But," Tseng said, motioning for Reno to stop, "this information come at a price."

"No deal!" Barret answered, pointing his machine gun arm at Tseng. "We don't negotiate with Turks!"

"Well, that's not for you to decide, is it?" Tseng replied.

"Barret, lower your weapon," Tifa said calmly.

"Tifa, you're not gonna–"

"It might prove useful." She looked at Tseng. "Name your terms."

"Very good," Tseng replied with a small bow. "It is my understanding that you have a large stock of materia."

"Huh?" Yuffie said. She crossed her arms and shook her head vigorously. "Uh-uhh, that's off limits!"

"I'm not finished. All I ask is to search through your inventory for one particular materia."

"Just one?" Tifa asked. "What kind is it?"

"A very rare kind, one that I believe will help both our causes."

"If it's so rare and you want it so bad, it's not gonna come cheap," Yuffie yelled. "One million gil!"

"You won't get a cent."

"Then no way!" Yuffie said, shaking her head again, her childishness reigned supreme.

"Then I'm afraid my information will remain confidential."

"Hang on, Yuffie, that sounds fair," Tifa replied. "Go get your box."

"Tifa!" Yuffie whined annoyingly.

"Well, if they don't find it, they'll probably leave us alone, and we'll still get our information. It sounds pretty important." Then, she winked at Yuffie. Yuffie nodded with a grin.

"Better not let that girl get it, Tseng," Elena warned.

"Yeah, she's got sticky fingers," Reno added.

Yuffie turned to them, with the same mischievous grin, and licked both palms of her hands.

Reno made a disgusted face. "EEEEEEEEEWWWWWWW!"

"Act your age!" Elena said, putting her hands on her hips. Yuffie just giggled.

Tifa sighed and shook her head. "I'll hand them over."

"Good," Tseng nodded.

She came near to Tseng with the box of materia. He bowed to her in thanks, and she bowed to him. "So tell me, Tseng," she said as she set them down, "what's worse, sticky fingers, or THESE fingers?" With that, she punched him hard, almost breaking his nose. "BARRET, YUFFIE, LET'S GO!"

"OH YEAH!" Yuffie squealed as she got into battle formation.

Reno and Elena started to run into their positions, but Tseng stopped them. "No. This is my fight."

"Three against one?" Reno asked.

Tseng drew his pistol. "It's about time."

--

He stepped out of the pool and stared around the cave, all surround in blue crystal. There was a hush over this place, like the epitome of serenity. He walked toward the back of the cave until he found her.

"Lucretia," Vincent whispered. A once beautiful woman was before him, now completely frozen in the crystal. He put his hand on the crystal pillar and even started to cry. "If only, if only you said yes. This would have been easier on both of us."

"It is futile to dwell in the past," a voice said behind him. Vincent turned and saw the same stranger who met him in the Gi Cave. He still couldn't see him clearly because of the darkness of the cave and the split reflections from the crystals.

"True, but it is just as futile to dwell in the present" Vincent turned again and put his face against the crystal pillar. "Everything is futile without her."

"So yours is a love story. I never would have guessed. Is that why you've come here, searching through the past to find your future?"

"Who are you?" Vincent demanded again.

He heard the sliding of metal. He could see in one crystal's reflection that the stranger had just drawn a long sword. "Who do you think I am, Valentine?" he asked darkly. Vincent could almost detect the sneer in his voice.

"I don't know," Vincent answered as he turned and drew his gun, "BUT YOU'RE NO FRIEND OF MINE!"

--

Cloud and Aerith followed the line in the dirt where it went, fighting a few monsters on the way. It led to a multi-room chamber, much like the clock room in the Temple of the Ancients, but then it went toward one particular chamber. They followed it to a small room with a single, empty podium. Hieroglyphics were scribbled on its base.

"Can you read it?" Cloud asked.

Aerith shook her head. "No. It's not Cetra."

Cloud knelt down, looking at it closer, and he noticed a card stuck to the bottom. He took it and found another typed note, which he read aloud. "Translation: This sword was surrendered to me peaceably by Eli of the Cetra warriors. Its secret art died with him, yet my mother's sister placed a new secret art upon the blade. Test it, who dares!" He gaped as he saw the signature to the message, "Sephiroth the Great."

"Sephiroth? He wrote this message?"

"No, I think it's part of the translation, but it's amazing that it's the same name. It can't be a coincidence, can it?"

Just then, Cloud heard fluttering behind him. He swiftly turned around just as he saw feet land on the ground. Zack was standing right behind him, in his SOLDIER uniform. The only difference now was he had two huge wings, one white and one black, unfurled behind him.

"There you are!" Cloud said, drawing Maranatha.

"Here I am," Zack echoed with a smirk. "Took you long enough. I expected better from a first class SOLDIER. Oh wait, that wasn't you," Zack continued in a smart aleck tone as he drew Cloud's sword. "That was me!"

"Hey, that's mine! You stole it from me!"

"You want it back? Come and get it!" Cloud walked forward and reached for it, even though he knew it wasn't going to be this easy. Sure enough, Zack held it out of his reach. "Uh uh uh!" he said, shaking his finger. "Come on, you know the drill. You gotta earn it first. So show me what you can do! Let's see if you're the hero they all say you are."

"Oh, I'll get it back," Cloud said coldly as he gripped Maranatha's hilt. "You're about to find out that right now I want that sword back more than anything in the world."

--

The battle with Tseng was at first the same ole, same ole. Tifa would throw a punch. Tseng would shoot. Barrett would shoot back. Yuffie tried to steal off of Tseng, and when he was too quick for her, she used her best materia. That's when things got crazy.

"You talk too much, child," Tseng said, and he snapped his fingers. Yuffie tried to say another spell, but when she moved her lips, no sound came out.

"Silence!" Tifa said. "I think I got an Echo Screen somewhere."

"And you," Tseng said meanwhile, turning to Barrett, "you need clarity. I'd give it to you, but I'm afraid there's no time for sloppiness." He waved his hand. Suddenly, Barret felt tremendously dizzy. His vision blurred, and he couldn't tell where he was aiming. He accidentally shot Yuffie and then shot himself. They both fell. Tifa gasped as she looked at both their bodies. "Do you surrender?" Tseng said coldly.

Tifa answered by charging directly at him. With a spinning kick, she knocked the pistol out of his hand. "So, what trick do you have up your sleeve this time?"

He answered by lunging into a melee attack.

--

Cloud and Zack were both just clashing swords, so far evenly matched. Aerith stood in the distance watching with horror.

"You know, I really like this sword. I can see why you got it." Zack split it in two. "It's two for the price of one, a real bargain!"

"I know," Cloud said as he pressed in closer. "Makes me wonder why you took the Buster Sword too!"

"Actually, Angeal took it. He's had it cleaned, polished, and sharpened. He always got onto me about keeping it in good shape. He wasn't too happy that you let it go to pot."

"Angeal?"

"He was before your time."

Cloud couldn't understand why Maranatha's power wasn't really kicking in. "Come on, I want this!" he whispered under gritted teeth. Suddenly, when he hit Zack's swords, red sparks appeared that knocked Cloud back.

"Oh, that cuts me deep, Cloud," Zack said sarcastically.

"What? It hurt me, not you."

"It means you hate me."

"No, I don't hate you! I'm not very happy with what you did, but–"

"All the same, you got hate in your heart. And that sword doesn't take too kindly to hate. I think you've seen me a little bit too long as your faceless enemy. I thought we were friends." The light played out the sadness in his eyes as Zack reached out his hand.

No, he wasn't falling for that trick. "Yeah . . . I thought we were, too." Cloud got up on his own and struck again. The sword clanged sharply, and the tussle brought them inches apart. He sneered. "But I guess we're not, are we?"

Zack smiled. "Have it your way, buddy." He struck a critical blow.

--

This stranger was almost impossible to defeat. He just kept deflecting Vincent's bullets with that sword. There was only one way left to beat him. Vincent felt rage build inside him, like a wild fire. When he felt it claim his heart, he ceased to be human.

Galian Beast roared and jumped at the stranger.

--

Tseng and Tifa continued a struggle of martial arts and other physical combat. "Where did you learn to fight, Miss Lockheart?"

"That's none of your business!" she replied as she punched him again. "And call me 'Miss Lockheart' one more time. I'd really like that!" she added through gritted teeth.

"Because I must say, you fight like a Turk!"

"You make that accusation again, and I'LL KNOCK ALL THE TEETH OUT OF YOUR HEAD!"

"I'd like to see you try!" he answered as he punched her back.

Meanwhile, Reno and Elena were just watching them. "You ever seen the boss fight like this?" Reno mumbled to her.

"I've seen him do a lot of things I've never seen him do before," Elena answered, muttering too.

"That's true."

They kept fighting for several minutes. Then, Tseng backed up and stood still. "This was fun, Miss Lockheart, but I'm afraid your time is up," he said coldly. He acted like he was pulling an invisible rope in front of her, then he punched it back. Tifa suddenly felt immense pain and fell back unconscious.

--

Vincent's Berserk Dance was a little bit more successful. He was at least getting a hit on the stranger. Then, his opponent was surrounded by an orange glow. He raised his sword high and charged as fast as he could straight into the beast. The pain overwhelmed the monster, and it fell back and materialized as an unconscious man.

--

"So Zack, tell me, are you an angel, or a demon?" Cloud said as he parried again.

"You really like to talk when you fight, don't you? I know where you got that from." Zack struck at him again. Cloud backed up. He could tell Zack was trying to go in for the kill. "But to answer your question . . . I came from the same place she did," Zack said nodding toward Aerith. "Why don't you ask her?"

Cloud was distracted for just a second as he turned back to Aerith, her face half hid by her hands. As he looked at her, pondering why she looked so frightened, he felt a painful blow at his side, and he was knocked over. Aerith gasped.

"Aerith, heal me," Cloud pleaded.

Aerith slowly picked up her rod and stared down at him, but she had a frozen look on her face. She was breathing hard. How come? She wasn't fighting.

"Sorry, buddy," Zack said. "I know it's bad form to attack when one's back is turned. Of course, it's also unwise to turn your back on an enemy."

Rage filled inside Cloud. With an angry yell, he jumped to his feet, charged at Zack, and unleashed his Omnislash Limit Break. It had powered up over time, and he was so sure it would take Zack down, without any problems.

His sword came down and down and down, his strength poured into every blow. When he was done, though, the sword thief was still standing. He didn't even look weak. He blinked once, twice. "Not bad, Spiky." He smirked slightly.

How? How? Cloud looked again at Aerith. "Did . . . did you just–?"

WHAM! Zack slammed the sword into Cloud's side, and Cloud fell back. All of his remaining strength drained out of him, and he passed out.


	13. Ancient Future

Note: So, so sorry about the long wait. I had this chapter written for a while now, but then Moira Rose and I had artistic differences and I was hesistant to put it up. We both had academic projects take over our lives. I'm still trying to squeeze in some time to write fanfiction, but Moira said she couldn't continue. Which isn't good news for me, because I'm stuck. Well, more details about that below.

* * *

Chapter 13: Ancient Future

"No . . . No . . . No . . (sigh) _No . . . No! . . . NO!"_

Tseng's tone kept getting more and more annoyed. Yuffie was the first to open her weary eyes, wiping away the orange dust from the Phoenix Down (that probably Biggs used on her) to see the Turk inspecting every single one of her materia individually. She got up and came behind him. Finally, he groaned in anger. "IS THIS IT?! Useless . . . Useless . . . USELESS!!!!" And he kicked the box of materia, sending the little orbs back into the Lifestream.

"HEEEEEEY!" Yuffie yelled in the most pronounced tone of annoyance she could muster. She scrambled around and tried to catch all the materia that hadn't hit the green waters, but she only managed to rescue a few. "I spent years gathering that materia! That wasn't part of the deal!"

Meanwhile, Tseng clenched both of his fists, just trying to calm down. He turned to her and gave her a look of genuine concern. "Why do you value materia so? Why is it precious to you?"

"Because it's rare, it's useful, and it's valuable. Suckers pay tons of gil for the right ones."

"I see," Tseng answered. "Well, you've made a mistake. Don't feel too bad about it. It's an easy mistake to make. In fact, most people make it."

"What are you talkin' 'bout?"

"You don't understand what 'precious' means. The most precious things aren't rare, and they're renewable and free."

_That's just Lifestream talk,_ she thought. "Look, what do ya want?"

"The rarest materia in the world. I was hoping you'd find it by now."

"Hey, the only materia I don't have is black materia, and that's just because it summoned Weapon, remember?"

"It's even rarer than that." He took a deep breath. "It's called the Blessing of the Planet."

Around that point, Tifa opened her eyes and sat up. Tseng bowed his head sulkily and turned away.

"Never heard of it," Yuffie said indignantly.

"I had hoped that you'd find it," Tseng repeated. "I had hoped that somehow it would reveal itself. I should have known better–I was a fool to hope." He looked up and implored the heavens, "Will I never see redemption? After everything I've done, after how hard I've tried?" He lowered his head again and hid his face in his hands.

"Redemption?" Reno asked. "What the devil are you talkin' about, Tseng?"

Tseng acted like he didn't even hear him. "I am amazed. Not even the sword guided him to it. If only he had more faith in the blade. If only he knew what he had . . ."

"The sword?" Tifa asked. "Cloud's sword?"

"Maranatha, translated 'Savior, come quickly,' the Plea of the Planet, a plea that required an answer. That's why I made sure he got it."

"What?!" everybody, heroes and Turks, cried simultaneously.

"That was you?" Tifa exclaimed.

"That was genius!" Reno yelled. "Why didn't you tell us you gave Cloud that lousy sword?"

"I didn't give it to him," Tseng answered. "If I offered it to him, he wouldn't have taken it. Instead, I arranged for him to get it."

"So, you stole his sword!" Tifa realized.

"Not exactly. I had a friend take care of that for me, but I sold it to a weapon proprietor and told him to sell it to Cloud."

"Why?" Tifa, Yuffie, Reno, and Elana all said together.

Tseng sighed again. "You must understand, Cloud needs that sword for a reason. Maranatha is our only hope, and he's the only one fit to wield it."

---

Though he was paralyzed and numb, he could hear voices echoing and overlapping in his mind in one confusing dialogue, "This is not a night of joy. This is a time for weeping! This night is full of woe! . . . Do you think it might really be an angel? A guardian angel, maybe? . . . I, only I, can give you what you seek. It shall be yours . . . Do you think even this freak of nature–? . . . Colorless . . . 'The time is out of joint' . . . green . . . All you need do is trust me . . . ideas . . . You might miss the happy reunion . . . sleep . . . The time is coming soon when you must answer . . . furiously . . .THE POWER OF THE REUNION IS IN THE DEAD! . . . Do you trust me, Nephew? . . . _Cloud! Maranatha! . . ._ I will never be a memory."

When will this cycle of recycled hate and revenge ever come to an end? Will it ever stop? Will it ever STOP?!

"Helloooo? Hellooooooo?" Aerith's voice, and it wasn't a dream.

He opened his eyes as he felt his strength slowly return. Aerith smiled at him. "It's alright. You're ok." She held his hand. Her soft, gentle fingers were comforting, but they couldn't remove the doubt from Cloud's mind about her.

"Why didn't you heal me when I asked?" he whispered.

Her smile faded. "I just . . . I couldn't stand it. I didn't like seeing either of you fight each other. I didn't know what to do."

"We had to fight each other. You knew that. It's the only way I could get my sword back."

"Yes, but . . . if I healed either one of you, it would mean which one I wanted to win, and I didn't know who I wanted to win."

"You healed Zack. That's how he survived my Limit Break."

"No . . . no, I didn't."

"You lying?"

"I wouldn't lie! I didn't . . . I'm not sure what happened."

"It was a good fight," Zack said as he peered over the fallen warrior. "Too bad you lost. You almost had me, almost! Just gotta work on your focus."

Cloud looked at him in fury. How could Zack smile and speak so casually, even coaching him? It sounded like they just had a stupid tennis match, but it was a fight to the death!

---

His head was pounding as he lifted it up. He had forgotten where he was. Then the humiliation of his defeat set in. He wondered where his opponent had gone, what he had done.

And he was surprised to see he was still there, sitting beside him. "You were foolish to lose your head like that."

"It was the only way I could fight you," Vincent replied weakly.

The stranger turned his dark eyes on him. "Why did you fight me?"

A moment ago, he thought the answer was obvious. Now, he wasn't sure.

---

Cloud stood up. "Well?" he asked angrily, putting his hands on his hips.

"Well what?" Zack asked.

"Aren't you even gonna apologize?"

"For what?"

Cloud scoffed and shook his head. "What do you think? For stealing my sword!"

"Your sword? You took mine, remember?"

"But you gave it to me!"

"'Lent' it to you."

"'Lent?' You were dying! It wasn't like you were going to use it again!"

"Well, I just proved that wrong, didn't I?"

Cloud groaned and punched the wall.

Zack just laughed. "Face it, Cloud, you owed me a sword. Of course, that's not the only thing of mine you took."

Anxiety and worry crossed over Cloud's heart. He knew what Zack meant–his identity. "Zack . . . you know I was just trying to live out my promise to you."

Zack crossed his arms and raised his eyebrow. "Yeah, you said you'd live out both our lives. You didn't say you'd pretend to be me and just forget I even existed." He sounded annoyed, but he wore a somewhat playful smirk on his lips.

"Zack . . . I can't explain how that happened."

"Relax, buddy. I'm not here to punish you. I don't even feel too bad about it, maybe just a tad annoyed. OK, maybe I was a little harder on you a moment ago than I meant to be, but believe it or not, I'm here to help."

Zack's sudden change into a gentler tone made the anger in Cloud's heart come rushing back. "Help? You don't always act so helpful! What about attacking our ship? Killing the Kadaj brothers? The boat, the chocobos, the mountain climbing equipment–I mean, it's so confusing! Whose side are you on, anyway?"

"I'm on your side, of course."

"Well, you sure aren't acting like it."

"I must be cruel only to be kind."

Cloud stuttered in frustration. "What's that even supposed to mean? How can you be cruel _and _kind?"

Zack shrugged. "I dunno. It's not really my logic, and it didn't really make sense to me either. But I think it means, everything we've done has been for a reason. I know it's hard to see, but trust me, we've been helping you."

"We?"

"Well, sure. I can't take complete credit for all those things you listed. I couldn't do it all alone, you know, not even with these." He pointed back to his wings.

---

"What do you mean?" Tifa asked. "That sword hasn't been acting like it can save the planet."

"Hey, how did you even get that sword?" Reno asked.

"That's something I really don't want to discuss now," Tseng answered softly. "Suffice to say, after I was brought into the Lifestream, I used all my energy to learn . . . everything." He heaved a big sigh. "Once I understood it all, I knew two things needed to happen–Cloud needed the sword, to connect with it and learn its secrets, and I needed to find that one missing piece, the Blessing of the Planet, that will unleash its full power."

"Well, if you know everything about this, how come you haven't told us?" Elena asked.

"I had my reasons."

"But we need to know! Please, tell us," Tifa urged him.

"Yeah, that was your deal, remember?" Yuffie added, hands on her hips.

Tseng hesitated, shutting his eyes, but he remembered his promise to Aerith. He can't be afraid of speaking the truth any longer. "Very well, I shall."

---

"Where'd you get those wings?" Cloud asked skeptically

"Ask and you shall receive," Zack answered carelessly.

"Huh?"

"You'll understand . . . one day."

"So, why is one black and one white?"

Zack shrugged. "I don't know. I thought it looked cool."

"You're talking about the Great Wish, aren't you?"

"Yeah. Tell me, Cloud, what wish would you ask for, if you can have anything in the world?"

"Why?"

Zack shrugged. "Just curious."

It was a tough question. Cloud wanted to say that he'd settle to have his sword back. He even thought about saying that he wanted Aerith to stay. But part of him wondered if this was a real wish, what gift he might receive when he went to the Lifestream. What would he really want then? Oh, he knew what he wanted, but how could he express it? "Peace," he answered.

"Peace?" Zack repeated.

"Yes. I want . . . I want to feel like . . . I don't need to fight anymore. Against Sephiroth, against Shinra, against the world, against . . . myself. I want it all to stop."

Zack nodded, fascinated. "Interesting," he said slowly. "So, you don't like fighting?"

"That's not really what I mean. I do kinda like fighting when I need to, I just . . . I don't know if I can explain. There's this part of me, like an emptiness. I thought being a hero would make it go away, but it doesn't. It won't, no matter what I do. It's that part of me that still isn't sure who I am."

"I see. You're kinda tired playing the hero. You want to be normal. Well . . . that's not me."

_No! _Cloud thought. _He just doesn't get it! That's not what I was saying . . . or maybe it was. _

---

He finally did have an answer. "You were keeping me from her."

"How?"

"When you told me to stop pursuing that riddle. I had considered for a moment that perhaps I need not seek the answer to the riddle of death and forget to live. What you said was true. I have my own journey to walk. I am the protagonist of my own story. Yet I nearly forgot, the reason I pursued the riddle was not for me alone. It was for her." He looked toward the crystal which encased his beloved. "She won't rest, and she won't let me rest. I thought if I deciphered the riddle, perhaps we both would find rest."

"What you truly seek goes beyond the riddle. What is that, Valentine?"

Like Cloud, he also had trouble putting it into words. "Hope," he finally said.

"Hope for what?"

"For something more." Vincent sighed. "Even when I was young, I grew weary of this planet, its hypocrisy, its pain, its selfishness, its loneliness. I've become so tired of loneliness! I've always wanted to believe that there was something else, something better, that it was more than just a story or some far away place. I fear I may never know. I may walk this planet for centuries condemned."

"So, you're wish is to . . ."

Vincent nodded sadly as he stared into one of the crystal pillars, and recalled his favorite passage, "'Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep–to sleep perchance to dream. Ay, there's the rub, for in that sleep of death what dreams may come." He shook his head and left off the quote. "But I don't want it to be a sleep, literally. I slept for thirty years, and I didn't enjoy it."

"You want the end of your story that badly?"

"It doesn't have to be a happy ending. In fact, I'm almost certain it won't be. As long as it's not just . . . silence."

---

Cloud shook his head. This was getting him nowhere. "So, when am I going to get my sword back?"

"When I'm done with it," Zack answered.

"When's that going to be?"

"You'll know, don't worry." Zack gestured like was there was something he was just now remembering. "But there is something I need to give back to you, now that you mention it." He reached into his pocket. "Hold out your hand."

Cloud held out his hand, and Zack dug a small bag out of his pocket and put it into Cloud's open palm. Cloud recognized the feel of it. "Gil?"

"Don't worry, I didn't spend a cent."

Cloud opened the bag and saw about 10,000 gil inside. "You stole money from me too? Why?"

"So you could buy that sword."

"Well, if you left me that money, I could have bought a more decent one!"

"Cloud, you don't get it. I wanted you to buy THAT sword!"

Cloud drew the blade. "This? You wanted me to buy Maranatha? But this sword's been lousy! I know it's supposed to be special and connected to the Lifestream and all that. Still, it's nowhere near as big and as powerful as what I'm used to, and I bet it's not gonna stand a chance against Sephiroth!"

"That's not the point. Haven't you noticed something odd about it? Haven't it felt just perfect for you, as though it was crafted just for your hand? Since you had it, have you been hearing things or dreaming strange dreams?"

"I know. Bugenhagen told us, it was crafted by the Cetra, but what difference does it make?"

Zack walked toward the doorway of the room and beckoned to Cloud. "Come here. I wanna show you something." Cloud and Aerith followed Zack into the multi-room chamber. "Let's see, second one to the left," Zack whispered to himself. He tried going in that room, and the other walked behind him.

Aerith gasped the moment they came in. They found a room full of murals, just like in the Temple of the Ancients, but this one told a much different story on its walls, a story of armies and blood and death "Who painted this? Who are these people?"

Zack pointed to a hieroglyph on the first panel. "Check it out."

Cloud approached where he was pointing. He could not believe his eyes. The hieroglyph almost looked like crude alphabetical characters, and they spelled a word he knew.

N-I-B-E-L

---

"The Nibels?" heroes and Turks once again said in unison.

"That's right," Tseng explained. "People have long forgotten that Mt. Nibel and Nibelheim were named after this forgotten Ancient race. We have so few records that predate Jenova that we don't know much, and the Cetra tried so hard to erase their name from history. Centuries ago, even before Jenova, there were a few places on the planet where pools of the Lifestream gathered on the surface. The Cetra had access to its power, and they used it to perfect and to store their secret arts. But the Nibels used the magic of the Lifestream to other ends which abused the planet for their own glory. They ended up going to war."

---

"Why?" Aerith asked. "Isn't this their temple? It looks so much like the Cetra's temple! Didn't they worship the same?"

"Not really," Zack answered. "Even though they both believed in the Lifestream, they used it in different ways. They probably became enemies because the Cetra tried to stop the Nibels before they did lasting damage to the planet. Of course, it didn't go over too well.

"See, when the Nibels went to war with the Cetra, they created the spell to bring dead warriors back from the Lifestream and make them stronger. But the Cetra fashioned this sword to combat the Nibels' living dead warriors. The sword could break the spell and send the warriors and the portions they absorbed from the Lifestream back to where they belong. Take a look at this one." He walked ahead to a panel of a small army with white swords held high above their heads. "People used to look to the oncoming ranks for Cetra knights holding these blades high, glowing with white fire."

"White fire?" Cloud asked doubtfully. He drew Maranatha. It was sparkling, but it was still silver, not white.

Zack looked very closely at the blade. "Oh, you know what? Something's missing! What have you got here? Oh, tut tut tut, this will never do!" He pulled out the lightning materia.

"Hey!"

"Sorry buddy, but it needs this one." Zack reached to Aerith and pulled something from her hair. It was a little bead of materia, shimmering white and green. He slid it into the open slot, and immediately the blade started blazing a brilliant white.

"Whoa! Wait . . . that materia, was that . . .?"

Zack smiled. "Marantha was often nicknamed 'The Holy Sword.'"

"How do you know all this?"

"I have wise friends in the Lifestream; one of them's a folklorist. I know a foreigner or two, as well. One of them keeps calling the Lifestream the Farplane. And Tseng, of course."

"Tseng?"

"Yeah, my partner in crime. He knows more than anybody about this, poor guy."

"'Poor guy?'"

"Yeah. See, it's hard, knowing everything, because then you find out things you didn't want to know."

---

"That's not what I meant, Valentine."

The stranger's omniscience was really starting to, unbelievably, creep Vincent out. "How do you know me? I don't know you."

"Your friend told me about you."

"My friend?" Vincent paused as he thought about this. "Noam?"

The strange silently bowed his head once. Vincent decided that was a nod.

"So, that was his wish. In the Lifesteam, he is able to speak plainly again."

"That's what you call it."

"What I call–?"

"Do you not know the realm of the dead goes by many names?"

Vincent slowly shook his head. The thought had never occurred to him before. "What do you call it?"

"The Farplane."

It was a nice name, but it didn't make much sense. It's not a plane; it's a stream. "Why do you call it that?"

"I am originally from a region and a time that would be unfamiliar to you . . . or perhaps it would be very familiar. In any case, I was trying to share with you my experience, that you may learn where fools before you have fallen." He looked at Vincent closely. "The truth is, I want you to set her free."

---

"Zack, do you know who Sanzamoura is?" Aerith asked.

"Over here," he said. He rushed back to the third panel. There was a panting of a tall woman with black and red hair, so long it reached to her feet. She had a narrow, angular face and wore a black dress, and she had her hands lifted high above her head. "She's a Nibel witch. She was the one who discovered the power of the Lifestream and who created the spell that raised the dead." Right next to her was a panel of a green pool with some figures etched in fading primitive green pigment walking out of it. "She manipulated the people, addicted them to the power. They worshiped her as a goddess. They said that she was omniscient."

"Omn–what?" Cloud asked.

"It means that she knew everything about everyone. She could read people's thoughts and could tell when they were lying. During the war, the Nibel armies would be on the battle field waiting for the Cetra, even when the Cetra were planning a surprise attack, because she told them where to go."

"I've had this feeling about her name, but I can't think of . . ."

"Think about it. Say it. San . . zamoura."

Aerith said it with him. "San . . . zamoura. Sanz . . . sans . . . sans amour. 'Without love.'"

The three of them said it together in an almost hallowed whisper, _"Loveless._"

"She must be the one who cast the spell on Sephiroth," Cloud concluded.

"That's right, buddy," Zack nodded.

"Wait. Sephiroth . . . why was he in that note?"

"Well, that's Sephiroth right there." He went back to the panel with the army and pointed in front of the Nibels' side. There was a picture of a pale man with a cold face and shoulder-length, black hair in full armor in front of them, pointing toward the Cetra. "He was the Nibel general, the son of Sanzamoura's sister. He supposedly killed over a thousand men singlehandedly."

"But that's not Sephiroth!" Aerith answered, confused.

"Well, it's not the Sephiroth we know. This is Sephiroth's namesake, Sephiroth the Great. I don't know how Hojo got that name. He must have run across it in mythology somewhere.

"Oh, Cloud, I gotta show you this! This is cool!" He went back to the panel with the Cetra army and pointed to one particular soldier standing in the back ranks. "Look familiar?"

It was a young warrior with straw-like hair and big, blue eyes wearing a vacant expression. Cloud put his hand on the picture, staring at it in disbelief. "It's me!"

"Well, actually, it's probably something like your great-great-great-great-great-great . . . you get the picture–grandfather. This is Eli, a young Cetra squire. Sephiroth captured him in battle, and Eli surrendered his sword, probably knowing that he'd never know how to use it. Somehow, he removed and hid the materia, and eventually, he was executed. And of course, he was right. Not even Sanzamoura could figure it out, but she did some playing with it.

"To avenge Eli's death, the Cetra redoubled their efforts. They killed Sephiroth and (forgive me for being so graphic, Aerith) dismembered his body." (Aerith gasped in horror.) "So, when Sanzamoura became aware that she was losing, she performed one last spell. She killed herself, but instead of joining the Lifestream, she tied her soul to the sword. One day, she planned that someone would find the blade and release her by touching it. Then, she would have her revenge once she resurrected the greatest warrior of all time and gave him the strength of all the Lifestream."

"So, that's why this all happened," Aerith whispered. "She's been released, and she brought back the new greatest warrior of all time, the one named after her nephew."

"Yeah. She made contact with the Lifestream, trying to find Sephiroth the Great, but she found Sephiroth instead. She seemed impressed with his power and his misguided heart. She discovered Genesis and Kadaj and his brothers, and she became more and more pleased. Once she learned about Jenova and the Reunion, that did it. She convinced Sephiroth that she was his aunt and she was determined to make him more powerful than he had ever dreamed, make him immortal, give him glory, and that she would see that he would destroy this planet and reunite with Jenova forever. Of course, it's all lies, but Sephiroth is so willing to believe it."

"But who would release her?" Cloud asked. "We'd forgotten about the Nibels. Who'd come down here to set her free and allow all this terrible stuff to happen?"

Zack looked at him sadly. "Tseng," he answered. Aerith gave a sad whimper, and Cloud just stared, baffled. Sure, they weren't on the same side, but still that was something he wouldn't expect from the Turk.

---

"That's right. It's my fault," Tseng concluded sadly.

"No!" Elena gasped.

"I . . . I don't understand," Reno said in utter disbelief.

"It's time I told you," Tseng said. "You need to know what happened. When I was in the western cave at Mt. Nibel, I found a sword. A war trophy, put on display. Even though it was thousands of years old, it looked in perfect shape. I investigated the metal and found it very rare and unique.

"I was about to take it with me to the lab for further investigation, but then I discovered that the sword was cursed. I released the spirit of an Ancient, a Nibel named Sanzamoura. She mistook me for a Cetra, and she took my life. I can't explain how. It was like she just took my spirit out of my skin. In my last moments, I heard her say she would use my soul to summon the greatest warrior in history, that the Nibels would at last claim their victory. It sounded . . . too familiar."

"You mean that's like what Sephiroth said, after he . . . ?" Elena said slowly.

_The "haint," just like the trucker said,_ Reno thought. "But I don't get it. We didn't find a sword or any kind of weapon anywhere near your body!"

"That's because she took it, Reno. She dipped the blade into the Lifestream. That's how she found Sephiroth, but it also removed the curse. When she found it was useless again, she threw it into the Lifestream. So I got a partner to keep it safe, and we made a plan to get it to Cloud when the time came. We agreed that we had to be as secretive as possible so Sanzamoura would never find out."

"Why couldn't you do it yourself?" Tifa asked.

"In the Lifestream, I began to understand. It was not because of a curse that this happened. That sword was not meant for my hands. When I wished for knowledge, the Lifestream gave it freely, but it revealed to me my true self, the opportunities I missed, the mistakes I made. And I realized I am . . . too impure. Even now, my hands don't feel clean. I feel as though they are still covered in blood. That is why I had to make certain I found someone who could hold it. I could not allow Sanzamoura's words to come to pass, but I could not do anything to stop her on my own."

"And you think Cloud's any more pure?" Reno said. "His hands are just as bloody as yours. He's not innocent."

"I'm not speaking of his hands, Reno. I am speaking of his heart. Unlike me, he learned from his mistakes. He learned regret, and he sought forgiveness. His heart was made for darkness, but it sought the light. For that, the planet has given favor and has given him the strength of a hero. He has a hero's soul, a hero's heart. You see, we have everything the planet wants in Cloud, everything that can conquer Sanzamoura--well, almost everything."

"So, we need that weirdo materia?" Yuffie asked in her usual immature tone.

"Exactly," Tseng answered. He wish she'd speak with more respect about something so sacred, but how are they ever going to find it.

---

"Do you know what this stone is made of?" the stranger asked.

Vincent shook his head. "Not without a field study, and it's been so long since I last did one. I'm sure you know."

"Yes," the stranger nodded. "This is materia, fortified by the Lifestream."

"What I . . . call the Lifestream," Vincent elaborated.

"That's right."

"I've never heard of so much materia concentrated in one place. The closest thing was five years ago when we found a whole building made out of black materia. It was destroyed when we took it."

"This used to be a sacred place thousands of years ago. The Ancients came here to commune with the planet, to be one with the Lifestream. But it was profaned. The planet's powers were made into commodities, and humans selfishly fought over them."

"We are still guilty of this sin," Vincent said sadly.

"This stone is the planet's answer to it. It was created to heal wounds inflicted on the planet when the Lifestream cannot alone. It fills the darkness that would swallow the world whole with light that no shadow can touch."

Vincent approached the crystal tower where Lucretia was. "And what of her? Five years ago, when I found her here, she was not like this. I wanted to touch her, but she kept warning me to stay back. Why?"

"Because this materia is not the same as others. It's alive. When she came here to do research, the materia trapped her here."

Vincent's eyes grew wide. How can materia be that hostile? "Why would it do such a thing?"

"She willed it. She sought the end of her story as much as you do yours. But rest assured, Valentine, it was only the beginning. Your beloved still lives. In fact, she has become the materia."

"Impossible!"

"Judge for yourself."

Vincent went closer to the pillar and put his real hand on the crystal, trying to concentrate, treating this crystal as though it really was materia. Yet his heart was heavy and distracted as he looked upon the lovely form within. He closed his eyes. "Nymph, in thy orisons be all my sins remembered," he quoted.

Suddenly, he was surrounded by a brilliant light. He felt a gentle, cool breeze caress his face, blowing off his scarf. The air smelled strongly of jasmine and roses. He looked down and saw his left hand was restored. What miracle is this? And she was there before him, ethereal and enigmatic. Vincent took her hand and led her into a waltz. No word broke the holy silence of their ecstasy. It was a wonderful experience, and yet it was somehow tragic. Her sparkling blue eyes never lost their sadness, yet Vincent's soul leapt at their call. He could hear his heart pound. Such emotions, he had not experienced them in so long. He didn't even know he could feel this deeply. That probably made the moment all the more sad, because he knew it wouldn't last. Yet her gleaming eyes, her glorious hair, and her shining body left an impression on his soul forever.

When the dance was over, she removed her hand. He stroked her face, so soft and cool, with his restored left hand. Moved by the stirring in his heart, Vincent closed his eyes and tried to draw closer to her face, but she stepped back. He opened his eyes, looking at her pleadingly, but she only gave him a sorrowful stare. As he reached his left hand to her, he watched as the flesh dissolved as dust until all that was left was the clawed prosthetic. She also vanished as though blown away by the wind, and Vincent found himself back in the cave, everything the way it was before. He sighed and leaned his head against the pillar.

As he looked closer through the clear crystal, he thought for a moment he saw a faint green glow from within, the Lifestream's own magic. "Colorless green ideas sleep fiercely," he whispered. "This is the answer to the riddle! Noam wanted me to find this place! He knew this materia was precious and needed to be obtained. And she found it." He looked at the stranger. "You say you want me to set her free, but what will happen to her if I try? Will the materia lose its power?"

"She will dissolve. The form you see before you will disappear, and she'll lose her consciousness. It will all melt away."

Vincent reacted in shock. "No! Not Lucretia! Why can't I keep her like this, safe, preserved?"

"Because this is the only materia which can stop the spell that is depleting the Lifestream." The stranger came closer to him. "You have a choice before you, Valentine--save her, or save the world. Choose wisely, for either choice will change your story forever."

Vincent stood there, silent, his head in his right hand, thinking, for a long time. Then, with a sigh, he turned back to Lucretia's pillar and touched it once more, reaching up as though he was reaching to touch her gentle cheek.

"My gift to you," he whispered, shutting his eyes.

--

"It's gonna be so much harder without the Blessing of the Planet," Zack explained as he led Cloud and Aerith out, "but we're gonna do it somehow."

"So what do we do?" Cloud asked.

"Well, when you first find Sephiroth, he'll be . . . indisposed. If you can, get him then. If he wakes up, just do what you do. Hit him with all you got. Keep him fighting, keep him distracted. At some point, you're gonna have to call Holy because that's sure to slow him down. And above all, don't give up. Oh, but Cloud, there's something you need to know. He's gonna try to offer you his power, but don't take it. Don't even think about taking it. One taste of the power can make you drunk."

"Trust me, I'll never accept any gift from Sephiroth."

"Good," Zack nodded. He stopped in his tracks and looked straight at Cloud. "By the way, no matter what happens, I promise you have my sword--well, technically your sword, but I think you know what I mean. I'll give you my support and my strength. Angeal said he would, too. In fact, we got a bunch a people. We're like a little army."

"I appreciate that," Cloud nodded.

As soon as they stepped into the sunlight, Aerith ran forward. "Oh, I didn't see these! What beautiful flowers!" She started running toward the trees, picking and sniffing flowers as she went. Cloud just watched her and smiled at her genuine joy.

"You do realize that it's hopeless," Zack said seriously.

"That's encouraging," Cloud responded sarcastically. "After your offer to help me and telling me exactly what to do, you tell me there's nothing I can do?"

"I'm not talking about the battle. I'm talking about her." He nodded toward Aerith.

"What about her?"

"No matter what you want, no matter what you do or say, when this is all over and the Lifestream is restored, she'll return to it. You won't be able to stop her. You can't make her stay."

"I see. You're rubbing it in. She's in love with you, so you're telling me she's coming back to you."

"No, you don't understand. She doesn't love me any more or any less than she loves you. Aerith loves everyone almost equally. That's probably why so many mistake her for a mother figure. Though I do have to admit, you are kinda special to her. But you see, in the end, there's really only one love that Aerith has which surpasses all that."

"Who?"

"Aerith is in love with the Lifestream. And I guess . . . really, that's another demonstration of her love for everyone. She longs to heal and to continue to give life to this planet."

Cloud just sat down and bowed his head sadly. He did not want to have this conversation with his rival. Now, he felt emptier than ever.

"Hey," Zack said, nudging Cloud's shoulder. "Look, I'm sorry I antagonized you. If I had my way, I wouldn't be working so underhanded. I would have told you everything from the start." He chuckled, "Though I have to admit, it was kinda fun."

Cloud didn't respond. He just looked stoically onward.

Zack's tone turned serious again. "To be honest, I'm proud of what you've become. I mean, you've come a long way since I last saw you, and then you could barely keep your head up!" He chuckled again.

"I'm just a delivery boy. I'm nothing special," Cloud whispered.

"Hey, don't say that. You're first class."

"Um, Zack—"

"I don't mean in SOLDIER. I mean as a person, a hero, a friend. You wanna know who you are? That's who you are!" He smiled and shook his head. "I can't believe you don't see it."

"See what?"

Zack looked at him with a grin. "That wish of yours has already been granted. Can't you tell?" Before Cloud could ask him what he meant, Zack flew away.

And then, Cloud suddenly remembered words he spoke in a dream three years ago:

"I think . . . I want to be forgiven . . . more than anything."

He remembered that night, that desire, how it gave him hope. It filled him with the strength he needed to face evil again. And when it was over, and Kadaj dissolved into a million lights . . . Cloud could still remember the cold rain falling upon him, like the tears of an angel. He remembered in that moment, he did feel peace. He felt as though the burden that had been on his shoulders for two years was gone at last. It wasn't just a little later that for the first time he could remember, he had a reason to smile. Where did that feeling go? Could it have been there all along, and he had just forgotten?

"Cloud? Are you ok?" Aerith was looking at him with sweet concern.

"I think so. Let's go back to the others." Aerith nodded and turned away, but Cloud stood up and called her suddenly. "Aerith?"

She turned back around. "Yes, Cloud?"

"Could, could I hold your hand again? I just . . . I . . . something about your hands, it's just . . . comforting."

She smiled. "Of course, Cloud." She offered him her hand, and he held it, some of that peace he sought so earnestly started to return to his heart. He wished he could hold her hand forever, especially since he knew she would soon be gone again.

* * *

Alright, folks. I could really use some help. I was building something in the Turks subplot, and I was hoping for Moira to help me figure out how to resolve it (she's a bigger fan of the Turks than I am, truth be told). Now that she's gone, I don't know where to take it. I even took out the ending I wrote that was part of that subplot because I'm not sure if I'm going to go in that direction. Also, I've been trying to write the big confrontation with Sephiroth and other villains, but that hasn't been coming to me as well as I was hoping either. What's more, ideas about the Heroes fic I'm working on is already pushing these ideas out, and I might lost them all together. So please, if you want this story to continue, somebody PM me and say you'll get me out of this rut, preferably somebody good at writing action. I'd appreciate it so much. If I don't get any response, I may try writing it on my own, but it may take a while longer, and I can't gurantee it'll be very strong and completely resolved.


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